Acquisitions refers to plural instances of acquiring or units obtained by purchase or transfer, typically corporate takeovers or new assets. The term emphasizes the act or result of gaining ownership, control, or possession of something, often in business contexts. It also functions as a general plural noun for items acquired.
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"- The company announced multiple acquisitions in the last fiscal year, strengthening its market position."
"- Antitrust authorities reviewed several international acquisitions for potential competitive effects."
"- The acquisitions department tracks all assets secured through mergers and purchases."
"- Investors scrutinized the latest acquisitions to assess growth potential and integration risk."
Acquisitions comes from the verb acquire, which derives from the Latin acquīrere, a composite of ad- (toward) and quaērere (to seek, obtain). The noun form acqui-siti-ons emerged in English in the late 15th to 16th centuries, initially in legal and property contexts to denote the act of acquiring or the things acquired. Over time, business usage broadened: acquisitions became a standard term for corporate purchases of other companies, assets, or divisions. The plural form reflects the typical accounting and strategic language of corporate governance, where multiple acquisitions are tracked as discrete items. In modern usage, acquisitions signals not only ownership but the strategic consolidation of resources, capabilities, or market reach, often accompanied by integration processes. First known uses appear in legal charters and mercantile records, with broader adoption in business journalism by the 19th and 20th centuries as corporate growth through acquisitions became commonplace in capitalist economies.
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Words that rhyme with "acquisitions"
-ons sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Pronounce as /ˌæk.wɪˈzɪʃənz/ in US/UK; US typically /ˌækwɪˈzɪʃənz/ with primary stress on the second-to-last syllable ‘zi’ (the /ˈzɪ/). Start with /ˈæk/ (short a as in cat), then /wɪ/ (short i), then /ˈzɪ/ (zih-sound), finishing with /ənz/ (schwa-nz). Make sure the secondary stress lands on the /ˈzɪ/ and that the final syllable is a light /ənz/ rather than a heavy syllable. You can reference: Cambridge dictionary and Forvo audio for confirmation. IPA: US /ˌæk.wɪˈzɪʃ.ənz/, UK /ˌæk.wɪˈzɪʃ.ənz/.
Common errors: misplacing stress (e.g., /ˌækwɪˈzɪʃənz/), mispronouncing the /kw/ cluster (as /k-w/ or with a weak /w/), and reducing the /ˈzɪ/ too much or turning /ʃ/ into /s/. Corrections: keep /ˌæk.wɪˈzɪʃ.ənz/, ensure /kw/ is a tight consonant blend, and maintain the /ʃ/ before the /ənz/ with a clear /ʃ/ sound rather than /s/. Practice with minimal pairs: acquire/ acquisitions, two-syllable stresses in the mid syllable. Listen to native audio for rhythm and avoid over-enunciating the final -tions.
US speakers usually have a stronger /æ/ in the first vowel and a slightly reduced /ɪ/ before /ʃ/, with clear /z/ of the mid syllable; UK tends to a slightly crisper /ˈækwɪzɪʃənz/ with potential non-rhoticity affecting preceding vowels in connected speech; Australian tends to a broader /æ/ and a slightly more centralized /ɪ/ before /ʃ/. However, the sequence /ˌæk.wɪˈzɪʃ.ənz/ remains consistent; rhoticity mainly affects surrounding vowels and linking. IPA references: US /ˌæk.wɪˈzɪʃ.ənz/, UK /ˌæk.wɪˈzɪʃ.ənz/, AU /ˌækwɪˈzɪʃənz/.
Difficulties stem from the initial /æ/ vs /a/ contrasts, the /kw/ consonant cluster, and the shift to the /z/ sound in the stressed syllable, followed by a soft /ʃ/ before the final /ənz/. The sequence of rapid syllables with a light final -tions requires precise timing: /ækwɪˈzɪʃ.ənz/. Practice the transition from /kw/ to /z/ and the /ʃ/ onset. Weak syllables around the schwa can blur; keep the mouth positions steady across syllables.
No silent letters in acquisitions. Every letter corresponds to a sound in standard pronunciation: a-k-qui-si-tions. The sequence /kw/ represents the /k/ + /w/ blend, the /z/ sound follows the /i/ in some syllables, and the final -tions yields a /ʃənz/ or /ʃənz/ ending. Focus on the cluster boundaries: /æ kwɪ zɪ ʃənz/ and maintain the /kw/ blend without letting it morph into separate /k/ and /w/ sounds. IPA: /ˌæk.wɪˈzɪʃ.ənz/.
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