Acquaintance

Pronunciation: /əˈkweɪntəns/

Definitions of acquaintance

noun a person one knows slightly, but who is not a close friend

Example Sentences

A1 I met a new acquaintance at the party.

A2 She is just an acquaintance, not a close friend.

B1 I have several acquaintances from my time studying abroad.

B2 He is a business acquaintance of mine, we occasionally meet for lunch.

C1 Over the years, she has become more than just an acquaintance, she is like family.

C2 As a diplomat, he has many high-profile acquaintances in the political world.

Examples of acquaintance in a Sentence

formal I have recently made the acquaintance of a prominent scientist in the field.

informal I bumped into an old acquaintance at the grocery store yesterday.

slang I don't really hang out with that acquaintance anymore.

figurative The concept of time is a fickle acquaintance, always slipping away when you need it most.

Grammatical Forms of acquaintance

• past tense: acquainted
• plural: acquaintances
• comparative: more acquainted
• superlative: most acquainted
• present tense: acquaints
• future tense: will acquaint
• perfect tense: have acquainted
• continuous tense: is acquainting
• singular: acquaintance
• positive degree: acquaintance
• infinitive: to acquaint
• gerund: acquainting
• participle: acquainted

Origin and Evolution of acquaintance

First Known Use: 1300 year

Language of Origin: Old French

Story behind the word: The word 'acquaintance' originated from the Old French word 'acointance' which came from the verb 'acointer' meaning 'to make known'.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'acquaintance' has evolved to refer to a person one knows slightly, rather than just the act of making known or familiarizing oneself with something or someone.