acquisition
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
the process of learning or developing a new skill or habit.
the cognitive process of developing a skill, habit, or quality; frequently used in linguistics regarding language learning.
Simple“The acquisition of a second language is much easier for young children.”
In context“Theories of language acquisition often distinguish between subconscious picking up of a tongue and conscious classroom learning.”
UsageOften followed by the preposition 'of'.
SynonymsAntonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
the act of one company buying another company.
the purchase of one corporation by another, or the asset itself after the purchase.
Simple“The small tech startup was a key acquisition for the global software giant.”
In context“The board of directors spent months negotiating the acquisition to ensure the merger would not violate antitrust regulations.”
UsageCommonly used in the phrase 'mergers and acquisitions'.
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
something that you have recently bought or obtained, often for a collection.
an object recently obtained, typically one of value or interest to a collection.
Simple“The museum's latest acquisition is a rare painting from the 17th century.”
In context“He proudly displayed his newest acquisition, a first-edition novel he had found at a small estate sale.”
Synonyms - 04 C1 Advanced
the process of collecting physical signals and turning them into digital data for a computer.
the process of sampling real-world physical conditions and converting them into digital numeric values.
Simple“The system allows for the high-speed acquisition of data from the sensors.”
In context“Data acquisition hardware must be carefully calibrated to ensure that the digital output accurately reflects the analog input signal.”
Synonyms
Usage facilitate acquisition
“Though much of Barcelona’s off-season attention centred on a possible bid for World Cup Ballon d’Or winner Rodri, which is still ongoing, the club seemed set with the acquisitions of Adeyemi and Anthony Gordon.”
“Where is our right?” On paper, India's land acquisition law appears to protect women such as Gyan Rani and Pooja.”
From Middle English, borrowed from Old French acquisicion, from Latin acquisītiō, from acquirere; equivalent to acquire + -ition.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.