Word
acre
Phoneticsacre
/ˈeɪkɝ/
Definitions
01unit of land
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. a unit for measuring an area of land, equal to 4,840 square yards.
n. a unit of land area measurement in the imperial and US customary systems, equivalent to 4,840 square yards or approximately 4,047 square metres.
“The farmer decided to sell ten acres of his land to a developer.”
“The estate encompasses over five hundred acres of rolling hills and ancient woodland, making it one of the largest private holdings in the county.”
02a large area
C1 · Advanced Plural noun Informal
n. a very large area of land or space.
n. a wide expanse or large area of land, typically used in the plural to emphasize size.
“The new shopping mall has acres of parking space for customers.”
“The library was vast, with acres of shelving dedicated to rare manuscripts and historical records.”
03a large quantity
C1 · Advanced Plural noun Informal
n. a very large amount of something, like paper or information.
n. a figurative large quantity of something, often used to describe written material or physical objects.
“The journalist wrote acres of text about the political scandal.”
“The project generated acres of paperwork that the legal team had to review before the trial could begin.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “acre” in context.
Verb
01. farm the acres
“His family has farmed these acres for over three generations.”
verb + noun
02. own several acres
“They own several acres of prime real estate near the coast.”
verb + noun
Adjective
03. sprawling acres
“The estate boasts sprawling acres of lush greenery and private woodland.”
adj + noun
04. wooded acres
“The property includes ten wooded acres perfect for hiking and camping.”
adj + noun
Noun
05. acre of land
“An acre of land in this valley is worth significantly more than it was a decade ago.”
noun + of + noun
06. thousands of acres
“The wildfire consumed thousands of acres of forest within a single week.”
measure + of + noun
Preposition
07. across the acres
“The sound of the tractor echoed across the acres of golden wheat.”
prep + noun
Usage
Commonly used in the plural to describe a large but unspecified amount of land ('acres of space').
Real-World Examples
“The blaze has already burned 1,100 hectares (about 2,700 acres) in the department of Landes, approaching the village of Luglon.” “In the Rhinogydd mountain range in Gwynedd, which is home to a National Nature Reserve and a Special Area of Conservation, a blaze burned for nearly two weeks and affected over 2,000 acres.” Etymology
Borrowed from French and Latin Acre, from Ancient Greek Ἄκο (Áko) or Ἄκη (Ákē), from Hebrew עכו (ʿAkko), of unknown origin.
From Portuguese Acre, of uncertain origin.
Probably a variant of Acker or Acree/Ackary, though also possibly Americanization of Norwegian Aakre or Low German Egger.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
Idioms
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
- Updated
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