Acquisition
/ˌækwɪˈzɪʃən/noun
The act of obtaining or gaining possession of something.
Did you know?Its deepest root is tied to Latin *quaerere* (“to seek, ask, search for”), the same ancestor behind words like *query* and *quest* — so an “acquisition” is literally something you’ve hunted down.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gʷʰeh₃- / *kʷer-
“To seek, ask, or desire”
Latin
Latin
quaerere
“To seek, ask for, or inquire”
Latin
Latin
acquirere
“To seek to add to oneself; to obtain”
Old French
Old French
acquisition
“A gaining, obtaining, or purchase”
Middle English
English
acquisicioun
“The act of acquiring or obtaining”
Modern English
English
acquisition
“The act of obtaining or gaining possession of something”