Meaning & Definition of word "Acquaintance"
Acquaintance
/əˈkwāntəns/
noun:
- 1. A person one knows slightly, but who is not a close friend.
- Example: I ran into an old acquaintance at the conference last week.
- 2. The state of being acquainted or familiar with someone.
- Example: Her acquaintance with the local customs helped her settle in quickly.
- 3. Knowledge or experience of something.
- Example: He has a passing acquaintance with the subject, but he isn't an expert.
Etymology
●Late Middle English: from Old French acointance, from acointier ‘make known’, from a- (from Latin ad ‘to’) + cointier ‘to make known’.
Common Phrases and Expressions
make someone's acquaintance:
To meet someone for the first time.
one's acquaintance:
A person known casually or superficially.
Related Words
friend:
A person with whom one has a bond of mutual affection.
stranger:
A person whom one does not know.
Slang Meanings of acquaintance
Meaning: A casual connection or relationship.
● Example Sentence: He's just a name in my phone, more like an acquaintance.
Meaning: Someone you know through others but have little personal interaction.
● Example Sentence: I wouldn't call her a friend, she's just a wave-and-smile acquaintance.