Acquire vs. Purchase — What's the Difference?
By Urooj Arif & Maham Liaqat — Updated on March 25, 2024
Acquire refers to obtaining or gaining possession, while purchase specifically involves buying something with money or its equivalent.
Difference Between Acquire and Purchase
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Acquire encompasses a broad range of ways in which an item, skill, or piece of knowledge can come into one's possession, not limited to monetary transactions. This can include receiving gifts, inheriting, discovering, or developing a skill. On the other hand, purchase is a specific form of acquisition that explicitly involves the exchange of money or its equivalent for goods or services.
While acquisition can be a result of various methods, including but not limited to financial transactions, purchasing is always a financial transaction. For example, a company might acquire another company through a merger without directly purchasing it, or an individual might acquire a new language skill through study and practice, rather than buying it.
Acquisition often implies a broader strategic context, especially in business, where it might involve complex negotiations, exchanges, or agreements beyond simple cash transactions. In contrast, purchasing is a straightforward transaction with clear terms for the exchange of goods or services for money.
In legal and financial contexts, acquisition might involve various forms of deals, such as stock swaps, earn-outs, or other arrangements, indicating the complexity and strategic nature of the process. Conversely, purchasing is typically governed by simpler, more direct legal frameworks like sales contracts.
The term "acquire" might also suggest a more gradual process, such as acquiring knowledge or skills over time, emphasizing the journey or effort involved. "Purchase," however, indicates a single, definitive transaction, focusing on the immediate exchange.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
Gaining possession or ownership, not limited to financial transactions.
Buying something with money or its equivalent.
Scope
Broad, can include inheritance, gifts, or self-development.
Specific to financial transactions.
Context
Can be strategic, especially in business (e.g., mergers).
Straightforward transaction.
Process
Can be gradual or involve complex arrangements.
Typically a single, clear transaction.
Legal Framework
May involve diverse legal arrangements.
Governed by sales contracts or similar legal agreements.
Compare with Definitions
Acquire
Gaining through various means.
She acquired her language skills through years of study and immersion.
Purchase
Buying with money.
She purchased a new car with her year-end bonus.
Acquire
Developing a skill.
Over time, she acquired a proficiency in coding.
Purchase
Transactional nature.
The purchase was completed once the payment was processed.
Acquire
Knowledge acquisition.
Through extensive research, he acquired expertise in renewable energy technologies.
Purchase
Clear legal transaction.
The purchase agreement outlined all terms and conditions of the sale.
Acquire
Inheritance or gift.
He acquired the family estate through inheritance.
Purchase
Immediate exchange.
He made an online purchase and received immediate confirmation.
Acquire
Business mergers.
The corporation acquired its competitor through a strategic merger.
Purchase
Consumer goods.
They made a large purchase of home appliances during the sale.
Acquire
Acquire is a multi-player mergers and acquisitions themed board game. It is played with tiles representing hotels that are arranged on the board, play money and stock certificates.
Purchase
Acquire (something) by paying for it; buy
Mr Gill spotted the manuscript at a local auction and purchased it for £1,500
Acquire
To gain possession of
Acquire 100 shares of stock.
Purchase
Haul up (a rope, cable, or anchor) by means of a pulley or lever.
Acquire
To get by one's own efforts
Acquire proficiency in math.
Purchase
The action of buying something
She made her purchases carefully
The large number of videos currently available for purchase
Acquire
To gain through experience; come by
Acquired a growing dislike of television sitcoms.
Purchase
Firm contact or grip
The horse's hooves fought for purchase on the slippery pavement
An attempt to gain a purchase on the soft earth
Acquire
To locate (a target) with an aiming device or a tracking system, such as radar.
Purchase
To obtain in exchange for money or its equivalent; buy.
Acquire
(transitive) To get.
Purchase
To acquire by effort; earn
Purchased the victory with the loss of many lives.
Acquire
(transitive) To gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own
He acquired a title.
All the riches he acquired were from hard work.
One should acquire as much knowledge as possible from reading.
To acquire a skill
To acquire decent habits and manners
Purchase
To pull or haul by means of a mechanical device, such as a winch.
Acquire
(medicine) To contract.
Purchase
The act or an instance of buying
The sudden purchase of a car.
Acquire
(computing) To sample signals and convert them into digital values.
Purchase
Something bought
That hat was a wise purchase.
Acquire
Come into the possession of something concrete or abstract;
She got a lot of paintings from her uncle
They acquired a new pet
Get your results the next day
Get permission to take a few days off from work
Purchase
A hold or position that allows the application of power, as in moving something
Got a purchase for her foot and climbed up.
Acquire
Take on a certain form, attribute, or aspect;
His voice took on a sad tone
The story took a new turn
He adopted an air of superiority
She assumed strange manners
The gods assume human or animal form in these fables
Purchase
A device, such as a pulley, used to obtain mechanical advantage.
Acquire
Come to have or undergo a change of (physical features and attributes);
He grew a beard
The patient developed abdominal pains
I got funny spots all over my body
Well-developed breasts
Purchase
A means or advantage that allows the increase of power or influence.
Acquire
Locate (a moving entity) by means of a tracking system such as radar
Purchase
The acquisition of title to, or property in, anything for a price; buying for money or its equivalent.
They offer a free hamburger with the purchase of a drink.
Acquire
Win something through one's efforts;
I acquired a passing knowledge of Chinese
Gain an understanding of international finance
Purchase
That which is obtained, got or acquired, in any manner, honestly or dishonestly; property; possession; acquisition.
Acquire
Acquire or gain knowledge or skills;
She learned dancing from her sister
I learned Sanskrit
Children acquire language at an amazing rate
Purchase
That which is obtained for a price in money or its equivalent.
He was pleased with his latest purchase.
Acquire
Gain through experience;
I acquired a strong aversion to television
Children must develop a sense of right and wrong
Dave developed leadership qualities in his new position
Develop a passion for painting
Purchase
(obsolete) The act or process of seeking and obtaining something (e.g. property, etc.)
Purchase
A price paid for a house or estate, etc. equal to the amount of the rent or income during the stated number of years.
Purchase
Any mechanical hold or advantage, applied to the raising or removing of heavy bodies, as by a lever, a tackle or capstan.
It is hard to get purchase on a nail without a pry bar or hammer.
Purchase
The apparatus, tackle or device by which such mechanical advantage is gained and in nautical terminology the ratio of such a device, like a pulley, or block and tackle.
Purchase
The amount of hold one has from an individual foothold or ledge.
Purchase
Acquisition of lands or tenements by means other than descent or inheritance, namely, by one's own act or agreement.
Purchase
To buy, obtain by payment of a price in money or its equivalent.
To purchase land, to purchase a house
Purchase
To pursue and obtain; to acquire by seeking; to gain, obtain, or acquire.
Purchase
To obtain by any outlay, as of labor, danger, or sacrifice, etc.
To purchase favor with flattery
Purchase
To expiate by a fine or forfeit.
Purchase
To apply to (anything) a device for obtaining a mechanical advantage; to get a purchase upon, or apply a purchase to; to raise or move by mechanical means.
To purchase a cannon
Purchase
To put forth effort to obtain anything; to strive; to exert oneself.
Purchase
To constitute the buying power for a purchase, have a trading value.
Many aristocratic refugees' portable treasures purchased their safe passage and comfortable exile during the revolution.
Purchase
To pursue and obtain; to acquire by seeking; to gain, obtain, or acquire.
That loves the thing he can not purchase.
Your accent is Something finer than you could purchase in so removed a dwelling.
His faults . . . hereditaryRather than purchased.
Purchase
To obtain by paying money or its equivalent; to buy for a price; as, to purchase land, or a house.
The field which Abraham purchased of the sons of Heth.
Purchase
To obtain by any outlay, as of labor, danger, or sacrifice, etc.; as, to purchase favor with flattery.
One poor retiring minute . . . Would purchase thee a thousand thousand friends.
A world who would not purchase with a bruise?
Purchase
To expiate by a fine or forfeit.
Not tears nor prayers shall purchase out abuses.
Purchase
To acquire by any means except descent or inheritance.
Purchase
To apply to (anything) a device for obtaining a mechanical advantage; to get a purchase upon, or apply a purchase to; as, to purchase a cannon.
Purchase
To put forth effort to obtain anything; to strive; to exert one's self.
Duke John of Brabant purchased greatly that the Earl of Flanders should have his daughter in marriage.
Purchase
To acquire wealth or property.
Sure our lawyersWould not purchase half so fast.
Purchase
The act of seeking, getting, or obtaining anything.
I'll . . . get meat to have thee,Or lose my life in the purchase.
Purchase
The act of seeking and acquiring property.
Purchase
The acquisition of title to, or properly in, anything for a price; buying for money or its equivalent.
It is foolish to lay out money in the purchase of repentance.
Purchase
That which is obtained, got, or acquired, in any manner, honestly or dishonestly; property; possession; acquisition.
We met with little purchase upon this coast, except two small vessels of Golconda.
A beauty-waning and distressed widow . . . Made prize and purchase of his lustful eye.
Purchase
That which is obtained for a price in money or its equivalent.
Purchase
Any mechanical hold, or advantage, applied to the raising or removing of heavy bodies, as by a lever, a tackle, capstan, and the like; also, the apparatus, tackle, or device by which the advantage is gained.
A politician, to do great things, looks for a power - what our workmen call a purchase.
Purchase
Acquisition of lands or tenements by other means than descent or inheritance, namely, by one's own act or agreement.
Purchase
The acquisition of something for payment;
They closed the purchase with a handshake
Purchase
Something acquired by purchase
Purchase
A means of exerting influence or gaining advantage;
He could get no purchase on the situation
Purchase
The mechanical advantage gained by being in a position to use a lever
Purchase
Obtain by purchase; acquire by means of a financial transaction;
The family purchased a new car
The conglomerate acquired a new company
She buys for the big department store
Common Curiosities
What is a purchase agreement?
A purchase agreement is a legal document outlining the terms and conditions of a sale, including details of the buyer, seller, item sold, and purchase price.
Can skills be purchased?
While the resources or education to learn skills can be purchased, the skills themselves are acquired through study, practice, and experience.
How does one acquire a company without purchasing it?
A company can be acquired without a direct purchase through methods like mergers, stock exchanges, or earning a controlling interest over time.
Can "acquire" and "purchase" be used interchangeably?
While sometimes used interchangeably in casual conversation, "acquire" and "purchase" have distinct meanings, with "purchase" specifically implying a financial transaction.
What does "acquisition" mean in business?
In business, "acquisition" refers to the process of obtaining control of another company or business asset, which can be through purchasing, merging, or other strategic methods.
Is acquiring always legal?
Acquiring is generally legal, but the legality depends on the means of acquisition. It must comply with relevant laws, whether it involves purchasing, inheriting, or receiving as a gift.
What is the role of money in acquisition?
Money can play a central role in acquisitions that involve purchasing, but not all forms of acquisition involve financial transactions.
Do companies always purchase what they acquire?
Companies don't always purchase what they acquire. They can acquire assets or other companies through various means, such as mergers, stock swaps, or strategic partnerships, not just outright purchases.
Is a gift considered a purchase?
A gift is not considered a purchase by the recipient, as it involves acquiring something without a direct financial transaction on their part.
Can you purchase something without acquiring it?
Technically, you can purchase something without immediately acquiring it, such as paying for a pre-ordered item or a service to be rendered in the future.
How does one document an acquisition?
An acquisition can be documented through various legal and financial documents, depending on the nature of the acquisition, including contracts, deeds, merger agreements, or transfer documents.
Is acquiring property the same as purchasing it?
Acquiring property can include purchasing it, but it can also involve other methods like inheritance or receiving it as a gift.
Can one acquire a digital asset?
Yes, digital assets can be acquired, including through purchase, licensing, or creation, and they encompass items like domain names, digital art, and online content.
How do cultural perceptions of acquiring and purchasing differ?
Cultural perceptions can vary widely, with some cultures placing more emphasis on non-material forms of acquisition, such as acquiring knowledge or status, compared to the more transactional nature of purchasing.
What is meant by "acquiring knowledge"?
Acquiring knowledge refers to the process of gaining understanding, information, or skills through study, experience, or teaching, rather than through a financial transaction.
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Written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
Co-written by
Maham Liaqat
