acquired
acquired — verb
- acquiredpresent simple I / you / we / they
- acquireds3rd person singular
- acquireding-ing form
- acquirededpast simple
1. to come to own something through your own actions, effort, or money
to come to own something through your own actions, effort, or money
The museum acquired a rare collection of Ming Dynasty pottery last spring.
acquire + noun phrase (valuable collectible)
Over the years, Leo has acquired an impressive library of first-edition novels.
The new bakery in Kaohsiung struggled to acquire the industrial ovens it needed to increase its daily output.
After the merger, the Indonesian logistics firm acquired three new distribution centres in Vietnam and one in Cambodia.
Gabriel acquired the painting at a local charity auction for a very reasonable price.
文法句型
acquire + noun phrase
用法筆記
Object is typically a physical item, collection, asset, or property that changes owner through deliberate action. Distinct from sense 2 (BUY BUSINESS), which specifically involves companies or shares.
常見錯誤
2. to obtain control of a company, property, or a financial holding by purchasing i
to obtain control of a company, property, or a financial holding by purchasing it
The retail group acquired three regional supermarket chains last quarter.
acquire + company name / type of organisation
Hassan's firm acquired a twenty percent stake in the renewable energy start-up.
A Japanese electronics giant has acquired the software developer for two billion dollars.
Carlos's private equity firm plans to acquire three retail chains across Southeast Asia.
The Watanabe family trust acquired a fifteen percent stake in the local railway company last year.
文法句型
acquire + company / subsidiary / shares
用法筆記
Frequently passive in financial news ('was acquired by…'). The subject is usually a corporation, investment group, or government entity. Unlike sense 1 (GET), this sense always involves a transaction and is restricted to organisations as objects.
常見錯誤
3. to gain a new ability, knowledge, or a way of behaving through experience, study
to gain a new ability, knowledge, or a way of behaving through experience, study, or practice — for example, picking up a second language or learning how to manage a team
Living abroad helped Eliska acquire fluency in Spanish within two years.
acquire + fluency / skill through experience
Children acquire social skills by playing and sharing with others at school.
Through her online courses, Anna acquired the programming knowledge needed for the job.
You can acquire good study habits by setting a regular schedule and sticking to it.
Dario acquired a taste for spicy food during his travels through Southeast Asia.
文法句型
acquire + a skill / knowledge / a language
用法筆記
Often used with abstract objects: skills, knowledge, habits, tastes, a language. Emphasises a gradual process rather than a single learning event. 'Acquire a taste for X' is a fixed collocation meaning to learn to like something over time.
常見錯誤
4. to legally obtain the permission to publish, broadcast, or sell a creative work
to legally obtain the permission to publish, broadcast, or sell a creative work or product
The film studio acquired the rights to the bestselling fantasy novel series.
acquire + the rights to [work]
A German publisher acquired the translation rights for Saira's debut poetry collection.
The streaming platform acquired exclusive broadcasting rights for the tournament.
A Korean educational publisher acquired the licence to produce Mandarin textbooks aligned with Taiwan's new high school curriculum.
- obtain the rights to
slightly more formal; same meaning
- licence
verb form; to grant or obtain official permission
文法句型
acquire + the rights / the licence
用法筆記
The object is almost always an intangible right ('rights', 'licence', 'permission'). Subject is typically a publisher, broadcaster, film studio, or streaming service. Distinguish from sense 2 (BUY BUSINESS), where the object is the organisation itself rather than a permission.
5. to develop an illness or health condition that was not present at birth — often
to develop an illness or health condition that was not present at birth — often used in medical writing about diseases that appear after birth
The patient acquired a hospital infection after a long stay in the intensive care unit.
medical register: acquired + infection / condition
Ziad acquired a rare neurological condition following the car accident.
Many of the older residents acquired the virus during a community outbreak last winter.
The doctor said the lung damage was acquired through years of factory dust exposure.
文法句型
acquire + an illness / a condition / an infection
用法筆記
Medical or formal context. In everyday speech, 'catch' or 'get' is more natural ('He caught a cold'). 'Acquired' is used in clinical writing and is the standard term in 'acquired immune deficiency syndrome' (AIDS).
常見錯誤
acquired — adjective
- acquiredpositive
- more acquiredcomparative
- most acquiredsuperlative
1. obtained or developed through one's own actions or effort rather than being born
obtained or developed through one's own actions or effort rather than being born with it
Her acquired confidence from years of public speaking made her an excellent team leader.
acquired confidence / skill / trait
The chef's techniques were mostly self-taught and acquired through trial and error.
predicative: were + acquired through
Maja's acquired knowledge of traditional herbal medicine came from her grandmother's teachings.
Through years of daily drills, Soojin's acquired habit of checking her grammar felt as natural as her instinct for writing.
The leadership skills she demonstrated were clearly acquired, not something she was born with.
文法句型
acquired + noun
be + acquired
用法筆記
Often used to contrast learned or developed qualities with inborn or natural ones. Common collocates: 'acquired taste', 'acquired skill', 'acquired knowledge', 'acquired habit'.
常見錯誤
2. appearing in someone after birth through illness, injury, or lifestyle, instead
appearing in someone after birth through illness, injury, or lifestyle, instead of being present at birth or passed through genes
Acquired deafness can occur at any age from illness, injury, or exposure to loud noise.
medical: acquired + condition (contrasted with congenital)
The researcher distinguished between congenital heart defects and acquired heart conditions.
Unlike inherited disorders, acquired mutations happen in body cells during a person's lifetime.
The patient's vision loss was acquired, not genetic, so her children face no extra risk.
- non-congenital
direct medical antonym of 'congenital'
- adventitious
very formal; appearing in someone after birth
- congenital
present from birth
- hereditary
passed through genes from parents
- inborn
existing naturally from birth
文法句型
acquired + noun
be + acquired
用法筆記
Primarily used in medical and biological contexts, where the key contrast is between 'congenital/hereditary' (present at birth or genetic) and 'acquired' (developed later). Frequently paired with 'rather than' to show this contrast.
常見錯誤
3. describing a physical feature or behaviour pattern that an organism develops bec
describing a physical feature or behaviour pattern that an organism develops because of its surroundings, not because of its genetic inheritance
The Himalayan blue sheep's thick winter coat is an acquired trait that develops in response to the mountain's freezing temperatures.
acquired trait + resulting from [environmental factor]
A pine tree on a windy coast often shows acquired changes in trunk shape, bending away from the sea breeze.
Marine biologists in Okinawa are studying whether young dolphins learn the acquired behaviour of foraging with tools.
The bird's song pattern is acquired through listening to older birds in its environment.
- environmentally induced
precise scientific term; specifies the cause
- adaptive
focus on the trait's function in response to surroundings
- genetic
determined by genes
- hereditary
passed through inheritance
- innate
present from the start, not shaped by environment
文法句型
acquired + noun
be + acquired
用法筆記
Technical term in evolutionary biology. 'Acquired characteristics' refers historically to the (now-disproven in its strong form) Lamarckian idea that traits developed during an organism's life could be inherited by offspring. Modern usage simply describes traits shaped by environment without the inheritance claim.