Acquisition is the act of obtaining or gaining possession, knowledge, or a new skill. In various fields it also refers to the process of acquiring another company. The term emphasizes the result of obtaining something and the steps involved, rather than the process of learning itself. It is commonly used in business, linguistics, and learning contexts.
"The acquisition of new customers is a key goal for the startup."
"Language acquisition in children often occurs implicitly through immersion."
"The company announced a gradual acquisition of its competitors."
"The museum’s acquisition of rare artifacts will enhance its collection."
Acquisition comes from the Middle French acquisition, from Latin acquisitio, from ac- (toward) + quaerere (to seek, obtain). The Latin root quaerere means to seek or to obtain, which evolved into a general sense of gaining possession. The term appears in English in the 15th century, predominantly in legal and commercial contexts. Over time, its usage broadened to include intellectual and organizational forms of obtaining something. In modern English, acquisition is used across multiple domains—business (an acquisition of another company), linguistics (language acquisition in children or adults), and general entitlements (acquisition of property). The core concept remains: the act or process of obtaining possession, control, or knowledge. First known use records show Latin-influenced forms in legal texts prior to widespread English adoption in the Renaissance period, later expanding into everyday business jargon with the rise of corporate mergers and acquisitions in the 20th century."
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Words that rhyme with "Acquisition"
-ion sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Phonetically, acquisition is /ˌæ.kwɪˈzɪʃ.ən/ in US and UK dictionaries. Break it into three main units: ac- (short a, as in cat), qui- (sounds like kwɪ, with a quick 'k' glide into a short i), -si- (zɪ, with a soft 'zh' like in vision), -tion (ʃən, with a 'sh' + schwa). Primary stress falls on the third syllable: ac-QUI-si-tion. Mouth positions: start with a relaxed jaw for /æ/, lips neutral; then a quick /kw/ digraph with rounded lips; minuscule tongue elevation for /ɪ/ before /ʃ/; final /ən/ with a light schwa and a reduced nasal ending.
Common errors include misplacing stress, pronouncing /z/ as /s/ in the middle, and misproducing the final /ʃən/ as /tʃən/ or /ən/. To correct: place primary stress on the third syllable ac-QUI-si-tion; ensure /z/ comes from the /z/ in /zɪ/ rather than an /s/ before it; practice the /ʃ/ sound with the tongue blade raised and lips rounded, followed by a light /ən/ that reduces to a soft schwa. Practice with minimal pairs focusing on syllable boundaries and the glide from /kw/ to /ɪ/.
In US, UK, and AU, /ˌæ.kwɪˈzɪʃ.ən/ is consistent in core sounds, but rhotacization can vary: US English may sound slightly more rhotic in connected speech, UK often maintains a crisper /ˈzɪʃ/ with a shorter /ɪ/ in rapid speech, and AU speakers may reduce the second syllable middle vowel a touch and flatten prosody. The /kw/ cluster remains stable across accents; /ʃən/ is generally uniform, but vowel length and stress can shift in fast delivery. Listen for the primary stress on QUI and the final /ʃ.ən/.
The difficulty centers on the multi-syllabic structure with a cluster /kw/ and the /ʃən/ ending, plus the non-intuitive middle vowel /ɪ/ in /kwɪ/. Beginners often misplace the primary stress, slur the /ɪ/ into /z/, or mispronounce /ʃ/ as /tʃ/. Focus on chunking: ac-QUI-si-tion, ensuring a short, clipped /kw/ onset, a clear /ɪ/ before /ʃ/, and a quick but distinct /ən/. Mastery requires practicing the three primary phonemes in sequence while maintaining steady rhythm.
A distinctive feature is the /t/ in -tion, which is not pronounced as a separate syllable but as part of the /ʃən/ cluster; the final -tion yields /ʃən/ rather than /tɪən/. The letter 'c' after 'qua' contributes the /kw/ sound rather than a hard /k/ alone, so the common pitfall is treating -qu- as /k/ or /kw/ inconsistently. Ensure the sequence ac-QUI-si-tion flows with /kw/ transitioning smoothly into /ɪ/ and then /ʃən/.
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