acquired
acquired — verb
1. To get something through your own effort or choice, so that it becomes something
To get something through your own effort or choice, so that it becomes something you own, know, or can use — for example, buying a used guitar, gaining a new customer, or obtaining special equipment.
Theo acquired an old guitar from a second-hand shop for very little money.
acquire + noun phrase (concrete object from a source)
The local library acquired several rare manuscripts at a charity auction.
Dr. Patel acquired the equipment needed to set up her new dental clinic.
The small bakery acquired a loyal customer base through its fresh bread.
文法句型
acquire + noun phrase (concrete or abstract)
用法筆記
Object can be concrete (a house, a painting) or abstract (a reputation, a skill). This is the most general sense — use it when no more specific sense (business purchase, learning, disease) applies.
常見錯誤
2. To buy a company, a large property, or a significant financial share in a busine
To buy a company, a large property, or a significant financial share in a business as part of a formal transaction between organisations.
The Japanese bank acquired a majority stake in a Thai finance company.
acquire + stake in [company] (business finance)
Yusuf's investment firm acquired a chain of hotels along the coast of Vietnam.
The tech giant was acquired by a rival for more than ten billion dollars.
Priya's company acquired a warehouse near the port to store its goods.
文法句型
acquire + noun phrase (company/stake/subsidiary)
用法筆記
Very common in business and finance writing. Often used in the passive voice: '[company] was acquired by [buyer].' The subject is typically a corporation, investment group, or wealthy individual.
常見錯誤
3. To legally purchase the permission to publish, distribute, broadcast, or exploit
To legally purchase the permission to publish, distribute, broadcast, or exploit a creative work, a patent, or an author's body of work for commercial use.
The publisher acquired the rights to Leila's debut novel before it was finished.
acquire + the rights to + [creative work]
A streaming platform acquired the global rights to the award-winning documentary.
The record label acquired the distribution rights for the singer's next album.
- license
verb specifically for granting or obtaining formal permission
- secure the rights to
suggests the rights were competitive or hard to obtain
文法句型
acquire + the rights/license/patent + to + noun phrase
用法筆記
Subject is typically a publisher, studio, streaming service, or media company. The object is always an intellectual property right (rights, license, patent, copyright). Distinguish from sense 2: sense 3 buys permission to use something, not the thing itself.
常見錯誤
4. To learn a language, develop a skill, or form a habit or preference over time th
To learn a language, develop a skill, or form a habit or preference over time through repeated practice, exposure, or experience rather than through formal instruction alone.
The children acquired fluent English after moving to Canada three years ago.
acquire + language (gradual learning through immersion)
Kai acquired a taste for spicy northern Thai food during his stay in Chiang Mai.
Elena acquired basic carpentry skills by helping her father on weekends.
Omar acquired the habit of jogging after his doctor warned him about his health.
文法句型
acquire + noun phrase (language/skill/habit/taste)
用法筆記
Subject is usually a person. The object is a language, skill, habit, or taste that develops gradually. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 4 always implies a process of learning or adaptation over time, not a single transaction.
常見錯誤
5. To develop a disease, infection, or long-term medical condition that you did not
To develop a disease, infection, or long-term medical condition that you did not have from birth, typically as a result of exposure, ageing, or lifestyle factors.
The patient acquired a serious lung infection after the emergency surgery.
acquire + infection (medical context)
Tariq's grandfather acquired diabetes in his fifties and had to change his diet completely.
The puppy acquired a bacterial infection from drinking dirty water in the park.
Doctors warn that the infection is easily acquired in crowded indoor spaces during winter.
文法句型
acquire + noun phrase (disease/infection/condition/immunity)
用法筆記
Common in medical writing and formal health contexts. More formal than 'catch' or 'get'. Typically used for serious or chronic conditions rather than minor illnesses. Frequently passive in medical warnings: '[condition] is acquired through [route].'
常見錯誤
acquired — adjective
1. Describing a quality, skill, or characteristic that a person develops through th
Describing a quality, skill, or characteristic that a person develops through their own actions, effort, or life experience, rather than being something they were born with.
Mei-Lin's acquired confidence helped her speak in front of audiences of over a thousand people.
acquired + confidence (personality trait gained through experience)
Ravi's acquired knowledge of vintage cars made him popular among local collectors.
The team's acquired skills came from years of solving difficult engineering problems together.
An acquired taste for fermented foods is common among travelers to East Asia.
- learned
very similar; 'learned' is more common for skills, 'acquired' is broader (skills, tastes, traits)
- developed
emphasises the process over time
- non-innate
technical; used in psychology and philosophy
文法句型
acquired + noun
be acquired (as in 'the skill is acquired')
用法筆記
Frequently modifies nouns like 'skill', 'taste', 'knowledge', 'confidence'. The fixed phrase 'acquired taste' — something you learn to like over time — is very common and has its own idiomatic flavour.
常見錯誤
2. Relating to a physical characteristic, behaviour, or medical condition that deve
Relating to a physical characteristic, behaviour, or medical condition that develops after birth as a result of environmental factors, lifestyle, or injury — not passed through genes or present from birth.
The doctor explained that the hearing loss was acquired, not inherited from either parent.
predicative: be acquired vs be inherited
Unlike eye colour, most phobias are acquired through negative life experiences.
Acquired characteristics such as a muscular build cannot be passed to your children through DNA.
The research team studied acquired immunity in patients who had recovered from the virus.
- non-congenital
medical term; the direct opposite of 'congenital'
- environmental
focuses on the cause rather than the timing
- congenital
present at birth, often before birth
- hereditary
passed through genetic material from parents
- innate
inborn; part of one's original nature
文法句型
acquired + noun (trait/characteristic/immunity)
be acquired (as in 'the condition was acquired')
用法筆記
Primarily used in biology and medicine. The direct opposite is 'congenital' (present at birth) or 'inherited' (genetic). Avoid using this sense for skills or personality traits — use sense 1 instead.