acquire
v.v. to get or buy something, often to add to a collection. You also use it when you learn a new skill or pick up a habit over time.
v. to come into possession or control of an item; to gain a new skill or characteristic through a gradual process. Transitive in all senses.
The company plans to acquire its smaller rival next month.
It takes several years for a child to fully acquire their first language through natural interaction.
The museum recently managed to acquire a rare collection of seventeenth-century maps, significantly enhancing its historical archives for future research.
From Middle English acqueren, from Old French aquerre, from Latin acquirō; ad- + quaerō (“to seek for”). See quest.
The verb is transitive and requires a direct object. In academic contexts, it is frequently used for abstract gains like knowledge or habits rather than physical purchases.