Verwerving

Verwerving is a Dutch noun meaning the act or process of obtaining or gaining something. It is used for the acquisition of property, rights, or resources, as well as for the attainment of knowledge, skills, or competencies. The related verb verwerven means to obtain or acquire, and verwerving is the derivative noun form.

In law and business, verwerving refers to the acquisition of assets, shares, or contractual rights, typically through purchase, merger, or grant. It can describe both tangible property and intangible assets such as licenses or intellectual property, and it often appears in corporate transactions and real estate contexts.

In linguistics and cognitive development, taalverwerving or verwerving van taal denotes language acquisition—the process by which infants, children, or second-language learners come to understand and produce language. The term is also used more generally for the acquisition of new knowledge or skills in educational settings.

In everyday use, verwerving is often contrasted with verkrijging; while verkrijging emphasizes the act of obtaining something that can be possessed, verwerving frequently underscores the ongoing process of gaining or developing competency or mastery.

See also: acquisition, taalverwerving, kennisverwerving.