# nodding acquaintance

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/nodding-acquaintance
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A casual or partial familiarity; a relationship which is not close or fully developed; an inexact understanding (of something).

## Examples

- I have a nodding acquaintance with my neighbor.
- I have a nodding acquaintance with the software, but I am not an expert yet.
- Although he possessed a nodding acquaintance with the local customs, he remained largely an outsider to the community.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.