# acquisition

/ˌækwəˈzɪʃən/ (US) · /ɐkwɪsˈɪʃən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/acquisition
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. learning a skill

noun · CEFR B2 · Academic

the process of learning or developing a new skill or habit.

For teachers: the cognitive process of developing a skill, habit, or quality; frequently used in linguistics regarding language learning.

- The acquisition of a second language is much easier for young children.
- Theories of language acquisition often distinguish between subconscious picking up of a tongue and conscious classroom learning.

Usage: Often followed by the preposition 'of'.

### 2. buying a company

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

the act of one company buying another company.

For teachers: the purchase of one corporation by another, or the asset itself after the purchase.

- The small tech startup was a key acquisition for the global software giant.
- The board of directors spent months negotiating the acquisition to ensure the merger would not violate antitrust regulations.

Usage: Commonly used in the phrase 'mergers and acquisitions'.

### 3. getting an object

noun · CEFR B2

something that you have recently bought or obtained, often for a collection.

For teachers: an object recently obtained, typically one of value or interest to a collection.

- The museum's latest acquisition is a rare painting from the 17th century.
- He proudly displayed his newest acquisition, a first-edition novel he had found at a small estate sale.

### 4. data collection

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

the process of collecting physical signals and turning them into digital data for a computer.

For teachers: the process of sampling real-world physical conditions and converting them into digital numeric values.

- The system allows for the high-speed acquisition of data from the sensors.
- Data acquisition hardware must be carefully calibrated to ensure that the digital output accurately reflects the analog input signal.

## Examples

- The company announced its latest acquisition today.
- The tech giant's recent acquisition of the smaller startup aims to integrate new artificial intelligence features into their existing software.
- Language acquisition occurs most naturally during early childhood, whereas adult learners often rely on more structured pedagogical methods to achieve comparable levels of fluency and grammatical precision.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.