Word
acquaintance
Phoneticsac·quain·tance, stress on the second syllable
US/əˈkweɪntəns/
UK/ɐkwˈeɪntəns/
Definitions
01a person you know
B1 · Intermediate Countable noun
n. someone you know slightly, but who is not a close friend.
n. a person with whom one is acquainted but who is not a member of one's intimate social circle.
“He is not a close friend, just a business acquaintance I met at a conference.”
“While she has a vast network of professional acquaintances, she relies on a very small group of lifelong friends for personal support.”
Usage
Countable noun.
02the state of knowing someone
B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun
n. the state of knowing a person, usually not very well.
n. the state of being acquainted with a person; often implies a level of familiarity that falls short of true friendship.
“Our acquaintance began when we worked in the same office ten years ago.”
“Their brief acquaintance during the summer months was enough to establish a mutual respect that lasted throughout their careers.”
Usage
Uncountable noun; often used with the preposition 'with'.
Synonyms
Antonyms
03knowledge of a subject
C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Formal
n. knowledge or experience of a particular subject or thing.
n. personal knowledge or familiarity with a specific subject, field, or object.
“The job requires a good acquaintance with modern computer systems.”
“The professor's thorough acquaintance with medieval manuscripts allowed him to spot the forgery almost immediately.”
Usage
Usually follows the pattern 'acquaintance with'.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology
From Middle English aqueyntaunce, from Anglo-Norman aquaintaunce, aqueintance, Old French acointance (“friendship, familiarity”), from Old French acointier (“to acquaint”). Compare French accointance. Morphologically acquaint + -ance.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
Idioms
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B1 · Intermediate
- Updated
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