Acquaintance
/əˈkweɪntəns/
nounBeginnerCommonGeneral
Meaning
Questions
Definitions
1
A person known to one, but usually not intimately or closely.
/əˈkweɪntəns/
nounneutralBeginner
General
A person one knows but who is not a close friend.
I bumped into an old acquaintance at the supermarket.
💡 Simply: Someone you know, but not a close friend.
More Examples
2
She has a wide circle of acquaintances.
How It's Used
Social
"I only have a passing acquaintance with her."
Business
"He made several valuable business acquaintances at the conference."
From Middle English *acquaintance, from Anglo-French *acointance, from *acointer ‘to make acquainted’, from *a- ‘to’ + *cointer ‘to know’, from Latin *cognoscere.
The word's usage has remained relatively consistent over time, focusing on a level of familiarity less than friendship.
Memory tip
Think 'a quaint dance' – you might meet someone at a quaint dance, and that might be the extent of your relationship.
Practice
Base: acquaint
acquaintenceaquitance
Usage
60%Spoken
40%Written