acquisitive
episodeTranscript
jump: chapters · speakers · find in transcriptTranscript
Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.
What is the definition and pronunciation of the word “acquisitive”?
It's the word of the day for July 5th. Today's word is acquisitive, spelled A-C-Q-U-I-S-I-T-I-V-E. Acquisitive is an adjective. Someone or something described as acquisitive
How is “acquisitive” used in historical and literary examples?
Here's the word used in a sentence from the Daily Telegraph. And keen to expand their empire. While acquisitive is a useful synonym to the likes of greedy and avaricious, it's relatively unknown compared to its more popular lexical relations, acquire and acquisition. The former of that pair is most often used to mean to get as one's own, as in skills acquired through practice.
What are the lexical relatives of “acquisitive” and how do their meanings differ?
The latter refers either to the act of acquiring something, as in the acquisition of skills, or to something acquired or gained, as in the museum's recent acquisitions. All three have as their ultimate source the Latin word acquirere, meaning to acquire, while acquire and acquisition refer have both been in use since the 15th century, acquisitive is a bit younger. The word has a somewhat rare use, meaning capable of acquiring, that dates to the late 16th century, but its greedy meaning dates only to the early 19th century.
When did the modern “greedy” meaning of “acquisitive” emerge and why is it less common today?
With your word of the day, I'm Peter Sokolowski. Visit Merriam-Webster.com today for definitions, wordplay, and trending word lookups.
No segments match your search.
Select any passage to copy it with its citation or turn it into a shareable card.
Chapters
4 chapters
1
What is the definition and pronunciation of the word “acquisitive”?
0:06–0:25
2
How is “acquisitive” used in historical and literary examples?
0:25–1:08
3
What are the lexical relatives of “acquisitive” and how do their meanings differ?
1:08–1:46
4
When did the modern “greedy” meaning of “acquisitive” emerge and why is it less common today?
1:46–1:58