Acquire and Develop

Acquire

Acquire verb - To come to have gradually.
Usage example: from years of working two jobs, he has acquired the ability to get by on only a few hours of sleep a day

Develop is a synonym for acquire in get topic. In some cases you can use "Develop" instead a verb "Acquire", when it comes to topics like grow. popular alternative

Develop

Develop verb - To come to have gradually.
Usage example: the youngster developed a taste for green olives

Acquire is a synonym for develop in form topic. You can use "Acquire" instead a verb "Develop", if it concerns topics such as get, grow, begin, unfold. popular alternative

Common collocations

ability acquire ability develop ability
skill acquire skill develop skill
taste acquire taste develop taste
device acquire device develop device
Other words: power, reputation, form, means, technology, immunity, magic, weapon, skills, traits, powers, weapons, abilities.

Both words in one sentence

  • Tabletop Game / Monopoly They are cheap to acquire, cheap to develop, and give a good return on investment, which means a player that gets all three early can develop them quickly and so build a very nice lead.
  • Some of them develop different personalities (generally for the better) as they acquire new memories and new experiences.
    Source: Blank Slate
  • Video Game / Ace Combat Infinity Double Unlock: To acquire planes and parts from the Aircraft Tree, you'll need to research and develop each plane and part, then buy the item with in-game money.
Cite this Source
Develop and Acquire. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/acquire/develop
Acquire & Develop. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/acquire/develop>.
Develop or Acquire. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/acquire/develop.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "acquire" and "develop" have occurred on timeline