1. To gain ownership of something with one's own efforts: Louise continued to practice piano every day until she acquired the skills to perform with the symphony orchestra and as a soloist.
2. To learn about or to develop something: Because of the bad economic conditions, it is becoming more difficult for many people to acquire sufficient funds to live on.
3. To develop as a result of experience: Mark was acquiring a negative attitude about listening to the news because of all of the terrible things that were happening to so many people around the world.
4. Etymology: originally from Latin acquirere, "to get something extra"; which is derived from ad, "addition, direction toward" + quaerere, "to try to get or to obtain";