vt, ac*quired  ac*quir*ing  :  to come to have as a new or additional characteristic, trait, or ability (as by sustained effort, by mutation, or through environmental forces) <a cognitive system … that is acquired in early childhood -Noam Chomsky>  <bacteria that tolerance to antibiotics>  <insects that resistance to DDT>  .
 
 
 
Published under license with Merriam-Webster, Incorporated.  © 1997-2024.