a person known to one, but usually not a close friend.
2.
the state of being acquainted.
3.
personal knowledge as a result of study, experience, etc.: a good acquaintance with French wines.
4.
(used with a plural verb) the persons with whom one is acquainted.
Also, ac·quaint·ance·ship (for defs. 2, 3).
[Origin: 1250–1300; ME aqueinta(u)nce, acoyntaunce < OF acointance.See acquaint, -ance]
—Synonyms 1.Acquaintance,associate,companion,friend refer to a person with whom one is in contact. An acquaintance is someone recognized by sight or someone known, though not intimately: a casual acquaintance. An associate is a person who is often in one's company, usually because of some work, enterprise, or pursuit in common: a business associate. A companion is a person who shares one's activities, fate, or condition: a traveling companion; companion in despair. A friend is a person with whom one is on intimate terms and for whom one feels a warm affection: a trusted friend. 3. familiarity, awareness.
personal knowledge or information about someone or something
2.
a relationship less intimate than friendship
3.
a person with whom you are acquainted; "I have trouble remembering the names of all my acquaintances"; "we are friends of the family" [ant: alien, stranger]
Ac*quaint"ance\, n. [OE. aqueintance, OF. acointance, fr. acointier. See Acquaint.]1. A state of being acquainted, or of having intimate, or more than slight or superficial, knowledge; personal knowledge gained by intercourse short of that of friendship or intimacy; as, I know the man; but have no acquaintance with him. Contract no friendship, or even acquaintance, with a guileful man. --Sir W. Jones. 2. A person or persons with whom one is acquainted. Montgomery was an old acquaintance of Ferguson. --Macaulay. Note: In this sense the collective term acquaintance was formerly both singular and plural, but it is now commonly singular, and has the regular plural acquaintances. To be of acquaintance, to be intimate. To take acquaintance of or with, to make the acquaintance of. [Obs.] Syn: Familiarity; intimacy; fellowship; knowledge. Usage: Acquaintance, Familiarity, Intimacy. These words mark different degrees of closeness in social intercourse. Acquaintance arises from occasional intercourse; as, our acquaintance has been a brief one. We can speak of a slight or an intimate acquaintance. Familiarity is the result of continued acquaintance. It springs from persons being frequently together, so as to wear off all restraint and reserve; as, the familiarity of old companions. Intimacy is the result of close connection, and the freest interchange of thought; as, the intimacy of established friendship. Our admiration of a famous man lessens upon our nearer acquaintance with him. --Addison. We contract at last such a familiarity with them as makes it difficult and irksome for us to call off our minds. --Atterbury. It is in our power to confine our friendships and intimacies to men of virtue. --Rogers.
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