If you’ve ever purchased something or acquired a new skill, you’ve likely come across the term acquisition (ˌækwɪˈzɪʃən) before, but do you know what it means? Not to worry; we’ll tell you!

In this post, we’re diving into the word acquisition to uncover its definition, origin, usage, and more. So if you’ve ever wondered what someone means when they use “acquisition” in conversation — keep reading. Here’s our complete guide on the noun acquisition.

What Is the Definition of Acquisition?

According to the Cambridge English Dictionary, acquisition can be defined as the process of getting something. In other words, it’s the act of acquiring or gaining possession. If you make an acquisition, you buy something — often to add to things that you already have.

When used in the realm of linguistics, however, our word of the day takes on a slightly different meaning. Here, it can be defined as the act or process of achieving mastery of a linguistic rule or language.

What Is the Etymology of Acquisition?

Middle English adquisicioun was first noted in the late 14th century. Acquisition was formed directly from Latin acquisitio and Old French acquisicion. Our word of the day is the past participle of acquīrere.

There are a few other words that have been formed from acquisition, such as:

Ac·qui·si·tion·al (adjective)
Ac·quis·i·tor (noun)
Pre·ac·qui·si·tion (noun)
Pro·ac·qui·si·tion (adjective)

What Are the Synonyms and Antonyms of Acquisition?

As we delve further into our word of the day, it’s about time we found a few more ways to learn all there is to know about the noun.

A fun and exciting way to learn a single word inside and out, is by learning its synonyms, antonyms, and collocations. By learning what a word is and isn’t, we can safely use that word in proper context.

Read on to find synonyms and antonyms of acquisition, which have been provided by Collins English Thesaurus below:

Synonyms

Procurement
Buy
Purchase
New item
Add-on
New item
Something purchased
Acquiring
Procuring
Acquirement
Getting hold of
Salvage
Gain
Mergers
Taking over
Change of ownership
Coup d’état
Adjunct
Winning
Addition
Taking up
Profit
Achievement
Find
Discovery
Good buy
One in a million
Treasure trove
Gem
Catch
Jackpot
Novelty
Conquest
Triumph
Implementation
Feather in cap
Grand slam
Successful outcome
Positive result
Big win
Culmination
Coup
Buyout
Takeover
Change of ownership
Gaining of control
Change of leadership

Antonyms

Loss
Forfeiture
Debt
Ruin
Misfortune
Mislaying
Dispossession
Sale
Selling
Vending
Marketing
Defeat
Naught
Giving up
Achilles heel
Shortcoming
Weakness
Downside
Abandonment
Disapproval
Relinquishment
Resignation
Rejection
Repudiation
Stoppage
Worsening
Faux pas
Letdown
Hindrance

How Can You Use Acquisition in a Sentence?

Now that you understand what acquisition means, it’s time to put your newfound knowledge to the test. Quiz yourself to see if you can comfortably come up with sentences using the word acquisition.

To get you started, we went ahead and put together a few example sentences for you below:

Our latest acquisition was quickly put on display for everyone to see. After that, the shop was busier than ever!

Ever since her acquisition of wealth, Sheena was just not the same person.

Our investors were able to purchase a controlling percentage of its stock, and just like that, the acquisition of the company happened essentially, overnight.

Unfortunately, your recent acquisition for us was quickly overshadowed by the drama that occurred after the purchase.

We were hoping for the acquisition process to go smoothly, but as is the case with many purchases of this nature, it was nothing short of chaotic.

Sarah’s latest acquisition is a racehorse that goes by the name of Hostile Takeover .

Did you know that a management buyout is the acquisition of a company by its management team?

My OB/GYN told me that language acquisition begins in the first couple of months of a baby’s life so it’s important that we are constantly talking to our tiny tot!

After the acquisition of the new shipping department, the company began to thrive.

Many folks are after the acquisition of wealth, but I prefer the acquisition of knowledge.

Did you know that an acquisition is simply the act of purchasing another company or part of a company?

Managers have a fiduciary duty to perform thorough due diligence of target companies prior to making an acquisition.

The local library has many new acquisitions, so if you need me, I will likely be there reading.

What Are Translations of Acquisition?

Perhaps you are looking for a little bilingual acquisition, or perhaps you just want to acquire some new friends from different corners of the globe and want to learn their language. Either way, we have you covered with a few translations of acquisition!

Read on below to find those translations of the noun acquisition, which have been provided by the Cambridge Dictionary:

Italian — acquisizione
Arabic — أكويستيتون
Japanese — 買収
Korean — 인수
American English — acquisition
Brazilian Portuguese — aquisição
Chinese — 收购
Finnish — yhteisön säännöstö
Turkish — müktesebata
European Spanish — adquisición
Greek — κεκτημένο
French — acquisition
German — Erwerb
European Portuguese — aquisição
Bulgarian — аквизитон
Spanish — adquisición
Swedish — förvärv
British English — acquisition
Danish — frifindende
Thai — การซื้อกิจการ

Conclusion

Acquisition is the act of obtaining or beginning to gain possession of something. It’s a noun form of the verb acquire, which most commonly means to buy, get, or learn. The word acquisition is also used in linguistics, where it refers to the process of becoming fluent in a language.

We hope this article provided you with an improved understanding of the word acquisition. If you’d like to acquire more knowledge and expand your existing vocabulary by learning more interesting terms, head on over to our website today!

Sources:

Thought Synonyms | Collins English Thesaurus

Acquisition Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

ACQUISITION : definition | The Cambridge English Dictionary

Kevin Miller is a growth marketer with an extensive background in Search Engine Optimization, paid acquisition and email marketing. He is also an online editor and writer based out of Los Angeles, CA. He studied at Georgetown University, worked at Google and became infatuated with English Grammar and for years has been diving into the language, demystifying the do's and don'ts for all who share the same passion! He can be found online here.