acquaintance
uh-KWAYN-tunss
/əˈkweɪn.təns/
A person one knows slightly, but who is not a close friend.
Denotes a low level of intimacy; you know their name and face, but not their deep personal life.
The story behind the word. Acquaintance comes from the Old French acointance, which traces back to the Latin accognitare, meaning 'to make known.' Historically, it referred to the state of having knowledge about something, but over time, it shifted to describe a person whom you 'know of' but do not hold close to your heart.
Word relationships
- contact: Contact is a neutral, often professional term for anyone in your address book, whereas acquaintance implies a social familiarity where you recognize and greet each other.
- friend: A friend is someone with whom you share a deep, personal, and trusting bond, far beyond the casual recognition of an acquaintance.
Commonly confused with
- stranger: A stranger is someone you have absolutely no knowledge of, whereas an acquaintance is someone you know slightly.
Word family
- acquaint (verb): Make someone familiar with or aware of something.
- acquainted (adjective): Having personal knowledge as a result of study or experience.
Collocations
- casual acquaintance
- make the acquaintance of
- nodding acquaintance
- business acquaintance
Example sentences
- "He was a casual acquaintance whom I met occasionally at the club, but we never shared any real intimacy." A classic novel exploring Victorian social circles.
Memory hook
Think of 'acquaint' as 'a quaint' (pleasant but small) connection. It's not a deep friendship, just a pleasant, light relationship. A pleasant, light connection.
When not to use
Do not use for someone you work with closely every day (they are a colleague) or someone you have never met (a stranger).
Fun facts
- Sociologist Mark Granovetter's famous study 'The Strength of Weak Ties' proved that acquaintances (weak ties) are actually more useful for finding jobs than close friends, because they run in different social circles.
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.