acquaintance

From Old French acointance. Compare French accointance.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /əˈkweɪntəns/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ʌˈkweɪn.təns/

• Audio (US)

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acquaintance (countable and uncountable, plural acquaintances)

1. (uncountable) A state of being acquainted, or of having intimate, or more than slight or superficial, knowledge; personal knowledge gained by intercourse short of that of friendship or intimacy; acquaintanceship.

   I know of the man; but have no acquaintance with him.

   • 1799, William Jones (translator), Hito'pade'sa, in The Works, Volume 6, page 22:

     Contract no friendſhip, or even acquaintance, with a guileful man : he reſembles a coal, which when hot burneth the hand, and when cold blacketh it.

2. (countable) A person or persons with whom one is acquainted.
   • 1848, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter XVI, in The History Of England From the Accession of James II:

     Montgomery was an old acquaintance of Ferguson.

• Synonym notes: The words acquaintance, familiarity, and intimacy mark different degrees of closeness in social intercourse. Acquaintance arises from occasional intercourse or interaction; as, "our acquaintance has been a brief one". We can speak of a slight or an intimate acquaintance. Familiarity is the result of continued acquaintance. It springs from persons being frequently together, so as to wear off all restraint and reserve; as, "the familiarity of old companions". Intimacy is the result of close connection, and the freest interchange of thought; as, "the intimacy of established friendship".

• familiarity, fellowship, intimacy, knowledge
• See also Thesaurus:acquaintance

• nodding acquaintance
• renew acquaintances

• acquaint

• acquaintance in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• acquaintance at OneLook Dictionary Search