acquaintance
Americannoun
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a person known to one, but usually not a close friend.
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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.
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personal knowledge as a result of study, experience, etc..
a good acquaintance with French wines.
- Synonyms:
- awareness, familiarity
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(used with a plural verb) the persons with whom one is acquainted.
noun
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a person with whom one has been in contact but who is not a close friend
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knowledge of a person or thing, esp when slight
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to come into social contact with
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those persons collectively whom one knows
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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 )
Related Words
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.
Other Word Forms
- acquaintanceship noun
- nonacquaintance noun
- nonacquaintanceship noun
- preacquaintance noun
- pseudoacquaintance noun
- reacquaintance noun
Etymology
Origin of acquaintance
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English acoyntaunce, aqueinta(u)nce, from Old French acointance; equivalent to acquaint + -ance
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Thomas Kerr, an accountant in Cleveland, said he has told friends and professional acquaintances that they should prepare for white-collar jobs to go away, and to find a sense of meaning in potentially new occupations.
Neighbors and acquaintances began asking for the sisters’ help.
From Literature
“I thought a lot about how to bring people together: How do you make a new friend, a new acquaintance, without just talking about the weather?” she says.
From Los Angeles Times
Since making his acquaintance, Duane had soon realized that spending hours studying himself was the musk ox’s favorite activity.
From Literature
The third choice is to stay in contact — with or without repaying the $1,000 — and manage him as you would a busybody neighbor or annoying acquaintance who wants to be closer than you are.
From MarketWatch
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
