acre
B2Formal/Technical (in its core sense); Informal (in figurative use).
Definition
Meaning
A unit of land area equal to 4,840 square yards (approximately 0.405 hectares).
Used figuratively to describe a tract or area of land, especially in farming, real estate, or land measurement contexts. Can also be used informally to suggest a large, expansive area (e.g., 'acres of space').
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a countable noun. Its core meaning is a precise measurement, but its figurative use is often plural and vague ('acres of').
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The unit is identical in size. Usage is more frequent in the US due to the prevalence of the imperial system in land description (alongside 'hectare' in the UK). Figurative use is equally common in both varieties.
Connotations
Connotes rural land, farming, and real estate in both varieties. In the UK, may feel slightly archaic outside of specific legal/agricultural contexts.
Frequency
Higher frequency in American English, especially in real estate, agriculture, and media reports (e.g., 'a 40-acre plot').
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[number] + acre(s) + of + [land/forest/etc.]a + [adjective] + acre + [noun]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “acres of space/time”
- “God's acre (archaic for churchyard)”
- “back acres (remote land)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used in real estate listings and agricultural reports: 'The property comprises 50 acres of arable land.'
Academic
Found in geography, agriculture, and history texts discussing land use or measurement.
Everyday
Used when discussing property size or figuratively: 'They've got acres of room in that new house.'
Technical
A precise unit in surveying, agriculture, and forestry. Often part of compound adjectives (e.g., 'acre-foot' in irrigation).
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- (Rare/Archaic) The estate was acred out to tenant farmers.
American English
- (Rare/Technical) They plan to acre off the western portion for development.
adjective
British English
- The ten-acre field was left fallow.
- They own an acre-sized garden.
American English
- They bought a hundred-acre ranch.
- It's a three-acre parcel of land.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The garden is very big, almost an acre.
- They have a small farm.
- The house sits on two acres of wooded land.
- Farmland here sells for thousands of pounds per acre.
- The new solar farm will cover over fifty acres.
- We seem to have acres of time before the meeting starts.
- The legislation restricts development on any parcel exceeding five acres in the green belt.
- The report was buried under acres of bureaucratic red tape.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine an ACRE of land is roughly the size of a football (soccer) field. An ACRE is an AREA for Crops and REcreation.
Conceptual Metaphor
LAND AREA IS A CONTAINER (e.g., 'acres of farmland'); LARGE AMOUNTS ARE LARGE AREAS (e.g., 'acres of paperwork').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- False friend with Russian 'акр' (akr) – while it is a direct loanword, the concept is foreign. Russian speakers typically think in 'гектарах' (hectares) or 'сотках' (100 sq.m). 1 acre ≈ 0.4 гектара or ~40 соток.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'acre' as an uncountable noun for the unit ('We bought some acre' – incorrect). The unit is countable. Confusing 'acre' with 'hectare' (1 hectare ≈ 2.47 acres).
Practice
Quiz
In figurative language, 'acres of' typically means:
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, the acre is an imperial unit. However, it is still legally used alongside metric units for land registration in some countries like the UK and US.
Using it as an uncountable noun (e.g., 'We bought some acre'). It is a countable noun: 'a ten-acre plot', 'several acres'.
Roughly 60% of a football (soccer) pitch, or about 16 tennis courts. It is approximately 209 feet by 209 feet (a square).
Yes, but only figuratively to mean a large, expansive amount of something non-physical (e.g., 'acres of time') or physical but not land (e.g., 'acres of canvas').