acquisition

noun

ac·​qui·​si·​tion ˌa-kwə-ˈzi-shən How to pronounce acquisition (audio)
plural acquisitions
Synonyms of acquisitionnext
1
: the act of acquiring something
acquisition of property
the acquisition of knowledge
2
: something or someone acquired or gained
The team announced two new acquisitions.
acquisitional adjective
acquisitor noun

Synonyms of acquisition

Examples of acquisition in a Sentence

Steven Schwartzman, the billionaire CEO of Blackstone, suffers no personal liquidity problems. But his firm, and others like it—have had to call off a series of proposed acquisitions because they can't get financing. Daniel Gross, Newsweek, 3 Mar. 2008
The gifting of books, too, endured as a legacy of our book hunting. I quickly learned not to ask for newly published books as birthday or Christmas presents, since they provided my father with too little of a challenge. The measure of a gift's value was the amount of thought and effort that went into its acquisition. Charles Mitchell, Bloomsbury Review, November/December 2002
McKnight and Ward, free-agent acquisitions who each have only one full season as a starter, have brought much-needed speed to the position. But rookie Chris Chambers, a second-round draft pick from Wisconsin, is the jewel. Jeffri Chadiha, Sports Illustrated, 1 Oct. 2000
the country's acquisition of new ships The big company's newest acquisition is a small chain of clothing stores. The museum has put its latest acquisitions on display.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Sun Pharma plans to fund the acquisition through a mix of internal cash and financing from banks. Baiju Kalesh, Bloomberg, 27 Apr. 2026 The deal was negotiated by Jessica Russo, COO productions and acquisitions at VMI and Dan Thunell, head of international sales at Propagate. Alex Ritman, Variety, 27 Apr. 2026 So rather than try to force the issue, the Jets and Browns both made savvy acquisitions on offense that should support their eventual solutions at quarterback. Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 27 Apr. 2026 China’s commerce ministry said at the time that any enterprises engaging in outward investment, technology exports, data transfers and cross-border acquisitions must comply with Chinese law. ABC News, 27 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for acquisition

Word History

Etymology

Middle English adquysicyoun, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French acquisition, borrowed from Latin acquīsītiōn-, acquīsītiō, from acquīsī- (variant stem of acquīrere "to acquire") + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of action nouns

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of acquisition was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Acquisition.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/acquisition. Accessed 30 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

acquisition

noun
ac·​qui·​si·​tion ˌak-wə-ˈzish-ən How to pronounce acquisition (audio)
1
: the act of acquiring
2
: something acquired

Legal Definition

acquisition

noun
ac·​qui·​si·​tion ˌa-kwə-ˈzi-shən How to pronounce acquisition (audio)
1
: the act or action of acquiring
specifically : the obtaining of controlling interest in a company compare merger, takeover
2
: a thing gained or acquired

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