Plain English Meaning
It is how a student takes in new information and gradually turns it into something they actually know and can use. They start by noticing the information, then understand what it means, then practice using it, and finally connect it to everything else they have learned.
Full Definition
In aviation instruction, acquiring knowledge is the staged process by which a learner moves from being aware of new information, to understanding it, to being able to apply it correctly, and finally to correlating it with other knowledge and situations. It is the structured progression an instructor guides a student through so that facts become usable skills.
Context Anchor
Seen in aviation instructor training when discussing how students learn new material before they can apply it in flight or ground lessons.
Derivation
From Latin acquirere, meaning 'to get or obtain,' and the Old English cnawan, 'to recognize or .' Together the phrase means more than just getting facts; it means taking them in until they are truly known.