acquisition
UK[ˌæk.wɪˈzɪʃ.ən]US[ˌæk.wəˈzɪʃ.ən]
n
The act of getting or obtaining something, especially knowledge, a skill, or an object.
n
Something that has been obtained, especially a company or piece of property bought by another company.
Morpheme Breakdown
ac
quisit
ion
ac
to, towards
quisit
to seek, to get
ion
noun suffix
Etymology
The word 'acquisition' has a direct lineage from Latin. It originates from the verb acquirere, meaning "to get in addition to," which itself is a compound of ad- ("to") and quaerere ("to seek, to get"). The core concept of actively seeking and obtaining something is preserved from its Latin root. Over time, the term evolved in English to encompass both the process of obtaining and the item obtained, particularly formalizing in legal and commercial contexts to denote corporate takeovers or valuable additions.
Analysis
Structure: ac (to, towards) + quisit (to seek, to get) + ion (noun suffix)
- ac: A prefix of Latin origin (ad-), meaning "to" or "towards". It assimilates to 'ac-' before 'q'.
- quisit: A morpheme from Latin (from the past participle stem of quaerere, meaning "to seek, to get").
- ion: A noun-forming suffix of Latin origin, indicating an action, process, or result.
Examples
The museum's latest acquisition is a rare painting from the 17th century.
Language acquisition is most rapid in early childhood.
The company announced the acquisition of its main competitor.