acquaintance

ac-quaint-ance · noun

imported

Definitions

noun

  1. 1.

    A person one knows slightly but who is not a close friend.

  2. 2.

    Knowledge or experience of something.

  3. 3.

    The state of knowing someone.

Forms

plural: acquaintances

Phrases & expressions

  • •
    make someone's acquaintance — To meet someone for the first time.
  • •
    have a nodding acquaintance with — To know slightly or superficially.
  • •
    casual acquaintance — Someone you know only slightly.
  • •
    of one's acquaintance — Among those one knows.

Related words

Antonyms: friend, stranger
See also: acquainted, associate, contact, friend
Synonyms: associate, colleague, contact

Etymology

From Old French acointance ("acquaintance, friendship"), from acointier ("to make known"), from Late Latin accognitare, from Latin accognoscere ("to know well"), from ad- ("to") + cognoscere ("to know").