What does acquisitive mean?
Acquisitive is an adjective describing a strong desire to acquire and possess things, particularly money, property, or other material goods. When applied to a person, it usually suggests a degree of greed or graspingness: an acquisitive collector may stop at nothing to add to a hoard, and an acquisitive company is one that grows chiefly by buying up others. The word can also be used more neutrally in scholarly contexts — psychologists speak of acquisitive behaviour, economists of acquisitive societies. It derives from the Latin acquirere, meaning 'to seek out and obtain', the same root behind acquire and acquisition, and entered English in the early seventeenth century. Its closest cousin in form, inquisitive, means something quite different: eager for knowledge rather than possessions. Because it names a recognizable human impulse with precision and a slightly literary tone, acquisitive remains a valuable word in criticism, biography, and social commentary.
Eagerly or greedily desiring to acquire and possess things, especially material goods or wealth.
"The novelist portrayed her hero as an acquisitive man whose possessions never brought him peace."
Often carries a negative connotation of greed, but can be neutral in technical or academic usage.
Relating to or characterized by the act of acquiring.
"The study examined acquisitive behaviour in young children learning to share."
Common in psychological and economic writing.
The same Latin root that gives us 'acquisitive' also powers 'exquisite' — one word hungers for possessions, the other for perfection.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of acquisitive
Acquisitive comes from the Late Latin acquisitivus, formed from Latin acquirere ('to acquire'), itself built from ad- ('toward') and quaerere ('to seek'). It entered English in the early seventeenth century alongside related forms such as acquisition. Words sharing this root include acquire, acquisition, exquisite, and inquisitive, all ultimately tracing back to quaerere, the Latin verb 'to seek'.
Related word forms
How acquisitive is actually used
Formal to neutral register. The dominant sense carries a mildly negative connotation of greed or graspingness, though it can be used neutrally in academic contexts such as psychology and economics.
Easily confused with acquisitive
Inquisitive means eager for knowledge or information, while acquisitive means eager to acquire or possess things.