simple past tense and past participle of acquire
"She acquired a new hobby last summer by learning to play the guitar."
In plain English: To acquire something means to get it by buying, finding, or learning it yourself.
"She acquired a new hobby after moving to the city."
Usage: Use "acquired" to describe something you obtained or gained at a specific time in the past, such as learning a new skill or purchasing an item. It functions as both the simple past tense and the past participle when paired with auxiliary verbs like "have."
gotten through environmental forces
"acquired characteristics (such as a suntan or a broken nose) cannot be passed on"
Developed after birth; not congenital.
"The doctor confirmed that his hearing loss was acquired rather than present from birth."
In plain English: Acquired means something you get or learn after you are born rather than being born with it.
"He has an acquired taste for spicy food after living in Mexico."
Usage: Use "acquired" to describe traits, skills, or conditions that a person develops through experience or learning rather than being born with them. This term is the standard opposite of "congenital" when distinguishing between innate biological features and those gained later in life.
Derived from Old French acquis, which comes from Latin acquisitus (past participle of acquīrere), the term originally meant "obtained" or "gained." It entered English in the 14th century to describe something acquired through effort rather than inheritance.