acquisition
acquisition — noun
1. the action of coming into possession of something, often something material or v
the action of coming into possession of something, often something material or valuable that is added to what you already have.
The museum spent two years on the acquisition of the rare Egyptian statue.
acquisition of + noun phrase
Mr. Patel devoted his retirement to the acquisition of antique pocket watches.
Modern smartphones have made the acquisition of personal data very easy for advertisers.
The general planned the acquisition of new territory along the river border.
Customer acquisition is the main job of our small marketing team this year.
- obtaining
more neutral and everyday than the formal 'acquisition'
- procurement
stresses an official or organised process, common in business
- gain
shorter and broader; often refers to profit or advantage
文法句型
acquisition of + noun
用法筆記
Frequently followed by 'of' plus a noun phrase that names what is obtained. Distinguish from sense 2 (specifically about learning) and sense 4 (specifically about company or property purchase by a business).
常見錯誤
2. the slow build-up of a skill, body of knowledge, or language inside a person's m
the slow build-up of a skill, body of knowledge, or language inside a person's mind, usually through experience, study, or daily exposure rather than a single event.
Researchers at the lab study how toddlers manage first-language acquisition before they turn three.
compound: language acquisition
Daily practice in the kitchen helped Maria with the acquisition of basic French cooking skills.
acquisition of + skill noun
The new training program supports the acquisition of leadership skills among junior staff.
Reading novels in Spanish made Uri's vocabulary acquisition feel almost natural.
Knowledge acquisition takes time, even for very motivated medical students.
- loss
as in language loss — forgetting a skill or language over time
文法句型
acquisition of + skill/knowledge/language
用法筆記
Subject of the action is usually a learner; the process unfolds gradually. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 2 is specifically about something learned and stored mentally, not about ownership. Common in academic and educational contexts ('language acquisition', 'second-language acquisition').
常見錯誤
3. an item that someone has just bought or obtained, especially a valuable one that
an item that someone has just bought or obtained, especially a valuable one that joins a personal or institutional collection.
Anna proudly showed off her latest acquisition, a hand-painted Italian teapot from the 1920s.
latest acquisition
The gallery's newest acquisition is a small bronze horse from ancient China.
Among the library's recent acquisitions are three handwritten letters by Charles Dickens.
Mr. Goldberg keeps each new acquisition in a glass case beside the fireplace.
The shiny red Vespa was Diego's proudest acquisition that summer.
文法句型
a/the [adj] acquisition
用法筆記
Countable in this sense (a/the/my latest acquisition; recent acquisitions). Subject of the possession is usually a person, museum, or library. Distinguish from sense 4, which is restricted to business deals (companies, land, buildings bought by a firm).
常見錯誤
4. the buying of a company, building, or piece of land by another company, or the c
the buying of a company, building, or piece of land by another company, or the company or property bought in this kind of business deal.
Toyota announced the acquisition of a small electric-vehicle startup based in Berlin.
acquisition of + company
The bakery chain made three acquisitions last year, opening shops in five new cities.
make + acquisitions (countable)
Lawyers spent six months reviewing the paperwork before the acquisition could close.
Mergers and acquisitions kept the office lights on past midnight all week.
The hotel was the company's first acquisition outside North America.
- divestment
selling off a part of a company instead of buying one
- spinoff
splitting a part of a company into a separate firm
文法句型
acquisition of [company/asset]
make an acquisition
用法筆記
Subject is almost always a company or investor; object is a business asset (firm, brand, property). Often appears in the fixed phrase 'mergers and acquisitions' (M&A). Distinguish from sense 3, where the buyer is typically an individual or museum and the item is for a personal or cultural collection.
常見錯誤
5. in publishing or media, permission (paid for by a company) to publish, distribut
in publishing or media, permission (paid for by a company) to publish, distribute, or screen a specific book, film, or other creative work; also the deal in which that permission is bought.
Penguin announced the acquisition of the English rights to the young Korean novelist's first book.
acquisition of [language] rights
Netflix's recent acquisitions include three documentaries from independent Brazilian directors.
The deal covers the acquisition of film rights for the entire fantasy series.
After a long bidding war, the small press celebrated its biggest acquisition ever.
Marvel's acquisition of the comic's screen rights surprised many fans last summer.
- rights deal
more everyday phrasing in entertainment journalism
- licensing
stresses ongoing permission rather than full ownership of rights
文法句型
acquisition of [rights/title]
用法筆記
Specialist usage in book publishing, film, and TV. Object is typically rights, a title, or a work, not a physical item. Distinguish from sense 4 (whole companies) and sense 3 (collected objects). The 'acquisitions editor' in publishing is the person responsible for this kind of deal.