acquired 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of acquirednext
1
as in adscititious

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2
as in nonhereditary

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acquired

2 of 2

verb

past tense of acquire
1
as in developed
to come to have gradually from years of working two jobs, he has acquired the ability to get by on only a few hours of sleep a day

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in earned
to receive as return for effort acquired a reputation for always arriving at his friends' house just as they were sitting down to dinner

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of acquired
Adjective
Transferring to Paramount+ will be all content currently on BET+ – original and acquired – subject to rights restrictions and license expirations. — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 13 Mar. 2026
Verb
At the same time, some of the larger game studios Microsoft has acquired are still apparently considered very desirable parts of its portfolio. — Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 6 July 2026 The saga acquired yet another meta layer after the investigation concluded. — Rhoda Feng, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026 Davos Brands bought Aviation in 2016, and Diageo acquired it in 2020. — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 6 July 2026 The team acquired right-hander Woo-Suk Go from the Detroit Tigers on Sunday and will add him to the major-league roster on Tuesday, a team source said. — Dan Hayes, New York Times, 6 July 2026 Later that year, Bruin Capital acquired a controlling stake in Full Swing from North Castle Partners for approximately $160 million. — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 6 July 2026 Versant Media Group has acquired sports tech firm Full Swing for $530 million in cash, expanding its portfolio of businesses operating outside of traditional linear TV. — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 6 July 2026 The Florida Panthers acquired goalie Akira Schmid from the Vegas Golden Knights, general manager Bill Zito announced late Monday night. — Ava Dicecca, Sun Sentinel, 30 June 2026 Washington has spent the past three seasons in Dallas and has turned into a fan favorite after helping propel the Mavericks to the 2024 NBA Finals after being acquired from the Charlotte Hornets. — Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acquired
  1. incidental
  2. nonhereditary
  3. developed
  4. earned
  5. surface
  6. cultivated
  7. gained
  8. accidental
Adjective
  • American Express relies on airlines to submit the correct information on airline transactions to identify incidental fee purchases.
    — Jason Stauffer, CNBC, 6 July 2026
  • There are certainly questions both about the final decision reached by match referee Rafael Claus in sending off Balogun for his incidental-looking stamp on Tarik Muharemović’s ankle, and the mechanisms used to reach it.
    — Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
Definition of incidental
Adjective
  • Other research shows that nonhereditary forms can result from other factors, including existing medical conditions and diet, reports Maya Yang of the Guardian.
    — David Kindy, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Aug. 2021
  • Evan, who turns 2 in December, was born with Prader-Willi syndrome, a rare, nonhereditary genetic disorder that has a most cruel and unusual symptom — chronic hunger.
    — Maureen C. Gilmer, Indianapolis Star, 14 Sep. 2017
Definition of nonhereditary
Verb
  • Sandler and Kelce developed a friendship after the Chiefs tight end appeared in Happy Gilmore 2.
    — Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 4 July 2026
  • The tool, developed by independent AI engineer Luke Geel, analyzes past results and players’ activity—from posture to blink rate—spotting connections that might be imperceptible to the average viewer but visible to top pros.
    — Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 3 July 2026
Definition of developed
Verb
  • Two seasons later, Dryer earned his one and only Pro Bowl nod.
    — Jim Reineking, USA Today, 6 July 2026
  • Will Richard does all of the little things With the regular Warriors squad, Will Richard earned his minutes by doing all of the unglamorous things on the court.
    — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 6 July 2026
Definition of earned
Adjective
  • Seahawk missions include anti-surface warfare, combat support, humanitarian disaster relief, and combat search and rescue, according to Naval Air Systems Command.
    — N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 1 July 2026
  • The Barracuda class is designed to perform a wide range of missions, including anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, land-attack operations, and special forces support.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 28 June 2026
Definition of surface
Verb
  • But the star has cultivated a loyal collective of her favorite brands, including Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Stella McCartney and Area (recall her famous Super Bowl jeans).
    — Morgan Evans, USA Today, 4 July 2026
  • The one-person filmmaker averages 3 million views per episode and has cultivated a YouTube audience of 500,000.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026
Definition of cultivated
Verb
  • The country, once split between British and French colonization, gained independence in 1960.
    — Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 7 July 2026
  • The proposal appears to be another long shot attempt by the prolific petitioner, who has so far unsuccessfully gained traction for his dreams to revamp city transportation methods.
    — Dylan Lysen July 6, Kansas City Star, 6 July 2026
Definition of gained
Adjective
  • Chomentowski lost her son in 2020 to an accidental drug overdose.
    — Brianna Wallen, Hartford Courant, 6 July 2026
  • Police said Rushing's cause of death was likely an accidental drowning.
    — Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 5 July 2026
Definition of accidental

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Cite this Entry

“Acquired.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acquired. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of acquired for Spanish Speakers

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