acquaintance

[ uh-kweyn-tns ]

noun

1. a person known to one, but usually not a close friend.
2. the state of being acquainted or casually familiar with someone or something:

   As far as I know, no one of my acquaintance has traveled around the world.

3. personal knowledge as a result of study, experience, etc.:

   a good acquaintance with French wines.

   Synonyms: awareness, familiarity

4. (used with a plural verb) the persons with whom one is acquainted.

acquaintance

/ əˈkweɪntəns /

noun

1. a person with whom one has been in contact but who is not a close friend
2. knowledge of a person or thing, esp when slight
3. make the acquaintance of
   to come into social contact with
4. those persons collectively whom one knows
5. philosophy the relation between a knower and the object of his knowledge, as contrasted with knowledge by description (esp in the phrase knowledge by acquaintance )

Derived Forms

• acˈquaintanceˌship, noun

Other Words From

• non·ac·quaint·ance noun
• non·ac·quaint·ance·ship noun
• pre·ac·quaint·ance noun
• pseu·do·ac·quaint·ance noun
• re·ac·quaint·ance noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of acquaintance¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English acoyntaunce, aqueinta(u)nce, from Old French acointance; equivalent to acquaint + -ance

Idioms and Phrases

see nodding acquaintance ; scrape up an acquaintance .

Synonym Study

Acquaintance, associate, companion, friend refer to a person with whom one is in contact. An acquaintance is someone recognized by sight or someone known, though not intimately: a casual acquaintance. An associate is a person who is often in one's company, usually because of some work, enterprise, or pursuit in common: a business associate. A companion is a person who shares one's activities, fate, or condition: a traveling companion; companion in despair. A friend is a person with whom one is on intimate terms and for whom one feels a warm affection: a trusted friend.

Example Sentences

Separately Donald Shea, a Hollywood stuntman, and Gary Hinman, an acquaintance of the group, were killed by members of the Manson Family.

From BBC

With every bit of trivia I learned, the walk I thought I knew well surprised me, like a longtime acquaintance shedding their persona, revealing unexpected sides of themselves.

From Los Angeles Times

He’s not going to be the “best friend”—or even a nice casual acquaintance—to Jews in the United States.

From Slate

A day after the riot, in a text message to an acquaintance, Johnston acknowledged being at the Capitol on Jan. 6.

From Los Angeles Times

By contrast, consider how, when most people encounter a neighbor or colleague who has just begun to wear hearing aids, they studiously avoid acknowledging the presence of a piece of plastic newly appended to their acquaintance’s ears.

From Slate

Related Words

• associate
• colleague
• companion
• friend
• neighbor