acquire

acquire ac‧quire [əˈkwaɪə ǁ əˈkwaɪr] verb [transitive]

1. FINANCE to buy a company:

• The group wants to acquire the company for $18 a share.

2. acquire a holding/​an interest/​a stake FINANCE to buy part of a company:

• It has acquired a 50% stake in a French electronics retailer.

3. to get something, especially something important or valuable:

• The course makes it possible for workers to acquire new skills.

• It has recently acquired the rights to hold Formula One races in Britain.

• The retailer has acquired a reputation for low prices and efficient service.

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acquire UK US /əˈkwaɪə^r/ verb [T]

► to buy or take control of a company or part of a company, often by buying shares in it: »

They acquired a chain of about 20 phone shops.

acquire control/ownership of sth »

He had just acquired control of the New York Times.

be acquired by sb/sth »

Mutual of New York was later acquired by French insurance conglomerate AXA.

»

Many checkout staff acquired shares in the company.

► MARKETING to get the legal right to use or do something: acquire rights to sth »

The broadcaster did not disclose exactly how it acquired rights to the material.

► to get something that is important to your business: »

We've acquired a million new customers in a year.

»

It's a good time to acquire new talent.

► WORKPLACE to get something that is important to you in your job: »

Aptitude tests attempt to judge a person's ability to acquire new skills.