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Inherit vs Acquire - What's the difference?

inherit | acquire |

In lang=en terms the difference between inherit and acquire

is that inherit is to come into an inheritance while acquire is to gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own, as, to acquire a title, riches, knowledge, skill, good or bad habits.

As verbs the difference between inherit and acquire

is that inherit is to take possession of as a right (especially in biblical translations) while acquire is to get.

inherit

English

Verb

(en verb)
  • To take possession of as a right (especially in Biblical translations) .
  • To receive (property or a title etc), by legal succession or bequest after the previous owner's death.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham), title=(The China Governess)
  • , chapter=5 citation , passage=‘It's rather like a beautiful Inverness cloak one has inherited . Much too good to hide away, so one wears it instead of an overcoat and pretends it's an amusing new fashion.’}}
  • (biology) To receive a characteristic from one's ancestors by genetic transmission.
  • To derive from people or conditions previously in force.
  • To come into an inheritance.
  • (computing, programming, transitive) To derive (existing functionality) from a superclass.
  • (computing, programming, transitive) To derive a new class from (a superclass).
  • * 2006 , Daniel Solis, Illustrated C# 2005
  • For example, the following two code segments, from different assemblies, show how easy it is to inherit a class from another assembly.
  • (obsolete) To put in possession of.
  • (Shakespeare)

    Usage notes

    * Do not confuse with inherent.

    Derived terms

    * inheritable * inheritance * inherited * inheritor

    acquire

    English

    Verb

    (acquir)
  • To get.
  • To gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own, as, to acquire a title, riches, knowledge, skill, good or bad habits.
  • * (Isaac Barrow) (1630-1677)
  • No virtue is acquired in an instant, but step by step.
  • * (William Blackstone) (1723-1780)
  • Descent is the title whereby a man, on the death of his ancestor, acquires his estate, by right of representation, as his heir at law.
  • *{{quote-book, year=1922, author=(Michael Arlen), chapter=3/19/2, title= “Piracy”: A Romantic Chronicle of These Days
  • , passage=Ivor had acquired more than a mile of fishing rights with the house?; he was not at all a good fisherman, but one must do something?; one generally, however, banged a ball with a squash-racket against a wall.}}

    Synonyms

    * attain, earn, gain, obtain, procure, secure, win

    Derived terms

    * acquired taste