Company supply outside idiot dealing with knowledge acquisition (9)

I believe the answer is:

cognitive

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'dealing with knowledge acquisition' is the definition.
I can't tell whether this definition defines the answer.

'company supply outside idiot' is the wordplay.
'company' becomes 'co' (abbreviation).
'supply' becomes 'give' (giving is a kind of supplying).
'outside' means one lot of letters goes inside another (some letters go outside others).
'idiot' becomes 'nit' (nit can mean a stupid person).
'give' going around 'nit' is 'gnitive'.
'co'+'gnitive'='COGNITIVE'

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for cognitive that I've seen before include "Knowing" , "perceptive thinking" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.

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