Acquisition means getting or gaining something, especially something valuable or important. When a museum makes an acquisition, it adds a new painting or artifact to its collection. When you make an acquisition at a bookstore, you're bringing home a new book.

The word often appears in business contexts. When one company makes an acquisition of another company, it buys that company and takes control of it. Tech giants regularly make acquisitions of smaller startups, gaining their technology and talented employees in the process.

The word emphasizes the act of obtaining something. Your vocabulary grows through the acquisition of new words. A library expands through the acquisition of new books. Scientists work on knowledge acquisition, constantly learning and discovering new information.

Acquisition sounds more formal than simply saying “getting” or “buying.” You wouldn't say you made an acquisition at the cafeteria, but you might say your school made an acquisition of new computers for the science lab. The word suggests something gained with purpose and effort, something deliberately pursued and obtained.