acquire
acquire — verb
1. to come to own a physical object, asset, or other thing — for example a painting
to come to own a physical object, asset, or other thing — for example a painting, a piece of land, or a company — usually after some effort or expense.
Paloma acquired a small wooden cabin near the lake last summer.
acquire + concrete object (cabin)
The museum acquired three rare paintings from a private collector in Paris.
acquire + from + source
Over the years, Mr. Sven has acquired an impressive collection of old maps.
The young couple finally acquired their first home after saving for a decade.
These historical documents were acquired by the library through a generous donation.
文法句型
acquire + noun (object/possession)
用法筆記
More formal than 'get' or 'buy'. Often used when the manner of obtaining is unspecified or worth glossing over, or when the object is valuable, rare, or difficult to come by.
常見錯誤
2. (of a company) to take ownership of another firm, a piece of real estate held as
(of a company) to take ownership of another firm, a piece of real estate held as an investment, or a block of shares, typically as part of a corporate deal.
Last March, Sony acquired a small Taiwanese game studio for around fifty million dollars.
acquire + company + for + price
The bank plans to acquire a 30 percent stake in the airline by next year.
acquire + percentage stake in
Investors cheered when the firm announced it would acquire its biggest rival.
The startup was acquired by a Silicon Valley giant just three years after launching.
文法句型
acquire + company / shares / stake
用法筆記
Standard term in business and finance reporting. Subject is typically a company or investor; the deal is usually announced or disclosed publicly. Distinguish from sense 1 by the corporate object (firm, stake, shares).
常見錯誤
3. to gain the legal permission to publish, sell, broadcast, or otherwise use a cre
to gain the legal permission to publish, sell, broadcast, or otherwise use a creative work — for example a novel, a song, or a film.
Netflix acquired the rights to broadcast the documentary in over fifty countries.
acquire the rights + to + infinitive
A small London publisher acquired the rights to the novelist's complete works in 2019.
acquire the rights + to + noun
The studio paid a record sum to acquire the film rights to the bestselling thriller.
Once Maria acquired the licence, she could legally sell prints of the photograph.
文法句型
acquire + the rights (to + something)
用法筆記
Object is almost always 'rights', 'licence', or a similar legal-permission noun. Often followed by 'to' + the work or activity covered. Common in publishing, film, and music journalism.
常見錯誤
4. to slowly build up an ability, habit, taste, or piece of knowledge through study
to slowly build up an ability, habit, taste, or piece of knowledge through study, repeated experience, or daily exposure rather than being born with it.
Olu acquired his spoken Mandarin by chatting daily with neighbours in Taipei.
acquire + language (through exposure)
Children acquire a first language without formal lessons, just by listening and copying.
acquire + first language (linguistics term)
After two years on the trading floor, Quinn had acquired a sharp eye for risk.
Living in Italy, the children quickly acquired a taste for strong espresso.
Once acquired during her years in Kyoto, Sophie's love of green tea never faded.
文法句型
acquire + skill / knowledge / habit / language
用法筆記
Implies a gradual process, not a single event. Common objects include 'skill', 'knowledge', 'habit', 'taste', 'reputation', 'language'. Distinguish from sense 1: here the object is abstract (an ability or trait), not a thing you can hold.
常見錯誤
5. to come down with an illness or develop a medical problem during one's life, as
to come down with an illness or develop a medical problem during one's life, as opposed to being born with it.
Many patients acquire infections during long stays in crowded hospital wards.
collocation: acquire an infection
Her grandfather acquired hearing loss after years of working near loud machinery.
acquire + condition + after + cause
The virus is most often acquired through close contact with infected animals.
Doctors warned that the bacteria can be easily acquired in unclean swimming pools.
- inherit
have a condition passed down genetically
文法句型
acquire + disease / infection / condition
用法筆記
Frequently passive in medical writing ('be acquired through/from'). Contrasts with 'congenital' or 'inherited' conditions. The adjective 'acquired' is itself a medical term, as in 'acquired immune deficiency syndrome'.