acquaintance

[ uh-kweyn-tns ]
/ əˈkweɪn tns /

noun

a person known to one, but usually not a close friend.
the state of being acquainted or casually familiar with someone or something: As far as I know, no one of my acquaintance has traveled around the world.
personal knowledge as a result of study, experience, etc.: a good acquaintance with French wines.
(used with a plural verb) the persons with whom one is acquainted.
Also ac·quaint·ance·ship (for defs 2, 3).

Origin of acquaintance

1250–1300; Middle English aqueinta(u)nce, acoyntaunce < Old French acointance. See acquaint, -ance

synonym study for acquaintance

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.

OTHER WORDS FROM acquaintance

Example sentences from the Web for acquaintanceship

British Dictionary definitions for acquaintanceship

acquaintance
/ (əˈkweɪntəns) /

noun

a person with whom one has been in contact but who is not a close friend
knowledge of a person or thing, esp when slight
make the acquaintance of to come into social contact with
those persons collectively whom one knows
philosophy the relation between a knower and the object of his knowledge, as contrasted with knowledge by description (esp in the phrase knowledge by acquaintance)

Derived forms of acquaintance

acquaintanceship, noun

Idioms and Phrases with acquaintanceship

acquaintance

see nodding acquaintance; scrape up an acquaintance.