# acquainted

/əˈkweɪnɪd/ (US) · /ɐkwˈeɪntɪd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/acquainted
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. knowing a person

adjective · CEFR B2 · Formal

knowing someone personally, but not as a close friend.

For teachers: personally known to one another; describes a relationship that is more than a stranger but less than a close friend.

- We are acquainted through work, but we have never met for coffee.
- Although they had been professionally acquainted for several years, they had never discussed matters outside of their immediate legal cases.

Usage: Often used in the phrase 'become acquainted with'.

### 2. knowing a subject

adjective · CEFR B2 · Formal

having knowledge or information about a particular topic or situation.

For teachers: having personal or shared knowledge of a subject, situation, or fact; typically follows the verb 'to be' or 'to get'.

- You should get acquainted with the safety rules before using the machine.
- The new manager spent her first week getting acquainted with the company's complex internal filing system.

Usage: Requires the preposition 'with' when followed by an object.

## Examples

- I am already acquainted with the new manager.
- The lawyer spent the weekend getting acquainted with the details of the case before the trial began.
- While they were briefly acquainted during their university years, they did not become close collaborators until they were reunited at a conference a decade later.

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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.