acquisition

Everyday

1. Something you have got or bought, especially something new and valuable. tree →
2. The act of getting something. tree →
3. (business) When one company buys another. tree →

In the lessons

In school: language acquisition means how children learn a language. In museums and libraries: new acquisitions are new items. In business news: one firm's acquisition of another. Phrases: language acquisition, a new acquisition, the acquisition of.

Examples

• The museum's newest acquisition is a dinosaur skull. tree →
• Language acquisition happens fast in young children. tree →
• The bike was his proudest acquisition. tree →
• The company announced the acquisition of a smaller firm. tree →
• The library has a list of recent acquisitions. tree →
• The acquisition of new skills takes practice. tree →
• Among these, the tales reported by Mrs. Balfour, with a thorough knowledge of the peasants' mind and mode of speech, are a veritable acquisition. tree →

Note

Verb: acquire. Spelling: acqu-, not aqu-. Formal word; everyday: buy, get. Do not confuse with "accusation" (saying someone did wrong).