Dictionary

acquaint en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /əˈkweɪnt/

Etymology

From Middle English aqueynten, acointen, from Old French acointier, from Early Medieval Latin accognitāre, from Late Latin accognitus, past participle of accognoscō, from Latin cognoscō, from nōscō. See also quaint, know.

Meanings

1. (Scotland, not-comparable) Acquainted.
   • [I]f you have skimmed through even a paragraph of my poor neglected little magnum opus you will know I am unusually acquaint with my inner workings. 1992, Alasdair Gray, Poor Things, Bloomsbury, published 2002, page 317:

Relateds

acquaintance · acquainted

acquaint en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /əˈkweɪnt/

Etymology

From Middle English aqueynten, acointen, from Old French acointier, from Early Medieval Latin accognitāre, from Late Latin accognitus, past participle of accognoscō, from Latin cognoscō, from nōscō. See also quaint, know.

Meanings

1. (followed by with, transitive) To furnish or give experimental knowledge of; to make (one) know; to make familiar.
   • I think you should acquaint him with the realities of the situation.
   • He is despised and reiected of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with griefe: and we hid as it were our faces from him; hee was despised, and wee esteemed him not. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Isaiah 53:3:
   • Before a Man can be in any capacity to ſpeak on any ſubject, 'tis neceſsary to be acquainted with it: Or elſe 'tis as fooliſh to ſet him to diſcourſe on it, as to ſet a blind Man to talk of Colours, or a deaf man of Muſick. 1693, [John Locke], “§162”, in Some Thoughts Concerning Education, London: […] A[wnsham] and J[ohn] Churchill, […], →OCLC, page 203:
2. (archaic, followed by of or that, transitive) To communicate notice to; to inform; let know.
   • He went directly, sign'd the indentures, was put into the ship, and came over, never writing a line to acquaint his friends what was become of him. 1771–1790, Benjamin Franklin, “The Autobiography [Part 1]”, in John Bigelow, editor, Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. […], Philadelphia, Pa.: J[oshua] B[allinger] Lippincott & Co., published 1868, →OCLC, page 159:
   • I had almoſt forgotten to acquaint your honor, that one major Alford (who was in mr. Love's conſpiracy) was of the graund inqueſt at Saliſbury, and was very zealous in his highneſſe ſervice here, and his good affection and wiſe carriage here, did much advantage the buſſineſe. 1655 April 21, “Mr. Ja. Nutley to ſecreary Thurloe.”, in A Collection of the State Papers of John Thurloe, Eſq; […], volume III, London: […] the Executor of the late Mr. Fletcher Gyles; Thomas Woodward, […] Charles Davis, […], published 1742, page 399:
   • Acquaint her here, of my Sonne Paris Loue, c. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iv], page 68, column 2:
   • I muſt acquaint you, that I haue recciu'd New-dated Letters from Northumberland: c. 1596–1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, […]. Epilogue.”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i], page 91, column 1:
3. (obsolete, transitive) To familiarize; to accustom.
   • October 2 1642, Isaac Basire, letter to John Evelyn What success it may further have I shall acquaint you at my coming over

Forms

Deriveds

acquaintant · disacquaint · unacquaint · foreacquaint · reacquaint · preacquaint

Synonyms

advise (to communicate notice to) · familiarize (to make familiar) · inform · to accustom (habituate, inure) · to familiarize (habituate, inure) · apprise

Translations (37)

bg известявам (to furnish or give experimental knowledge of) · de mitteilen (to communicate notice to) · es familiarizar (to familiarize; to accustom) · de in Kenntnis setzen (to communicate notice to) · sh упо̀знати (to familiarize; to accustom) · fi tiedottaa (to communicate notice to) · hu értesít (to communicate notice to) · es dar a conocer (to furnish or give experimental knowledge of) · pt familiarizar (to familiarize; to accustom) · sv bekanta sig (to furnish or give experimental knowledge of) · fi tutustuttaa (to furnish or give experimental knowledge of) · sh упо̀знати (to furnish or give experimental knowledge of) · uk познайо́мити (to furnish or give experimental knowledge of) · es familiarizar (to furnish or give experimental knowledge of) · hu ismertet (to furnish or give experimental knowledge of) · hu tudat (to communicate notice to) · fi totuttaa (to familiarize; to accustom) · hu megismertet (to furnish or give experimental knowledge of) · de unterrichten (with darüber) (to communicate notice to) · da lære at kende (to furnish or give experimental knowledge of) · sh upòznati (to furnish or give experimental knowledge of) · uk знайо́мити (to furnish or give experimental knowledge of) · de vertraut machen (to furnish or give experimental knowledge of) · be знаёміць (to furnish or give experimental knowledge of) · sv sätta sig in (to furnish or give experimental knowledge of) · fi perehdyttää (to furnish or give experimental knowledge of) · hu összeismertet (to furnish or give experimental knowledge of) · ru ознакомить (to furnish or give experimental knowledge of) · ota خبر ایتمك (to communicate notice to) · be пазнаёміць (to furnish or give experimental knowledge of) · de informieren (with darüber) (to communicate notice to) · es presentar (to furnish or give experimental knowledge of) · bg запознавам (to furnish or give experimental knowledge of) · bg съобщавам (to communicate notice to) · hu tudomására hoz (to communicate notice to) · bg запознавам (to familiarize; to accustom) · sh upòznati (to familiarize; to accustom)