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Definition of acquaintance

acquaintance

/əˈkweɪn.təns/
ac · quain · tance
Plural:acquaintances
•
Adjective:acquainted
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acquaintance Lexical Profile

acquaintance Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

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

Example

"She ran into an old business acquaintance while waiting for her flight at the airport."

2

A person's knowledge or experience of someone or something, especially when less than thorough.

Example

"The students developed a working acquaintance with classical literature during the introductory seminar."

3

The state of knowing or being known to someone socially.

Example

"It was a great pleasure to make your acquaintance at the conference yesterday."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for acquaintance
Antonyms
View all antonyms for acquaintance

• Rhymes for acquaintance

• Nearby Words

acoustics
acquafraggia
acquaint
acquaintance
acquaintanceship
acquainted
acquiesce

Word Origin & Etymology

Borrowed in Middle English from Old French acointance, derived from the verb acointier ('to make known'), which traces back to Late Latin accognitare ('to make known'), from Latin ad- ('to') and cognitus ('known').

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Acquaintance. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/acquaintance
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