acquired

Acquired is an adjective meaning obtained, gained, or learned after birth or formation. It is used to distinguish things that are not inherent or innate from those that are present from the beginning. In everyday language, acquired skills such as playing an instrument or speaking a language are the result of practice and experience.

In biology and medicine, the term appears in several contexts. The phrase acquired characteristic historically referred to a trait developed during an organism’s life, a concept associated with Lamarck that modern genetics generally rejects as a driver of heredity. Today, environmental influences can modify traits and phenotypes without changing the underlying DNA sequence. The term also appears in phrases like acquired brain injury, which denotes brain damage that occurs after birth due to injury or disease, and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, or AIDS, indicating an immune deficiency caused by infection rather than being congenital.

In business and law, acquired describes assets or interests obtained through purchase, merger, or transfer, such as an acquired company or acquired rights. The process of acquisition results in the transfer of ownership or control, and the term is widely used in corporate strategy, finance, and intellectual property contexts.

Etymology and usage: acquired derives from the Latin acquirere, meaning to gain, from ad- toward + quaerere to seek. The term remains common across disciplines to denote something gained after an initial state rather than being inherent.