Acquaintance

/əˈkwāntəns/

Meaning & Definition

noun

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

I ran into an old acquaintance at the conference last week.

The state of being acquainted or familiar with someone.

Her acquaintance with the local customs helped her settle in quickly.

Knowledge or experience of something.

He has a passing acquaintance with the subject, but he isn't an expert.

Late Middle English: from Old French acointance, from acointier ‘make known’, from a- (from Latin ad ‘to’) + cointier ‘to make known’.

make someone's acquaintance

To meet someone for the first time.

one's acquaintance

A person known casually or superficially.

friend

A person with whom one has a bond of mutual affection.

stranger

A person whom one does not know.

A casual connection or relationship.

He's just a name in my phone, more like an acquaintance.

Someone you know through others but have little personal interaction.

I wouldn't call her a friend, she's just a wave-and-smile acquaintance.