acquaintance en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /əˈkweɪntəns/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- (US) audio
- /ʌˈkweɪn.təns/ (US)
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.
Meanings
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(uncountable) A state of being acquainted with a person; originally indicating friendship, intimacy, but now suggesting a slight knowledge less deep than that of friendship; acquaintanceship.
Contract no friendſhip, or even acquaintance, with a guileful man : he reſembles a coal, which when hot burneth the hand, and when cold blacketh it.
1799, “Hito'pade'sa”, in William Jones, transl., The Works, volume 6, page 22:I know of the man; but have no acquaintance with him.
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(countable) A person or persons with whom one is acquainted.
Montgomery was an old acquaintance of Ferguson.
1848, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter XVI, in The History Of England From the Accession of James II:
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(uncountable) Such people collectively; one's circle of acquaintances (with plural concord).
Their mother […] was busy in the mean time in keeping up her connections, as she termed a numerous acquaintance, lest her girls should want a proper introduction into the great world.
1791 (date written), Mary Wollstonecraft, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman: With Strictures on Political and Moral Subjects, London: […] J[oseph] Johnson, […], published 1792, →OCLC:Having therefore conſulted with my Wife, and ſome of my Acquaintance, I determined to go again to Sea.
1726 October 28, [Jonathan Swift], “The Author Gives Some Account of Himself and Family, His First Inducements to Travel. […]”, in Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. […] [Gulliver’s Travels], volume I, London: […] Benj[amin] Motte, […], →OCLC, part I (A Voyage to Lilliput), page 3:
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(countable, uncountable) Personal knowledge (with a specific subject etc.).
The words of these songs were either without meaning, or derived from an idiom with which Watt, a very fair linguist, had no acquaintance.
1953, Samuel Beckett, Watt, [Paris]: Olympia Press, →OCLC:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| acquaintances | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
preacquaintance · semiacquaintance · reacquaintance · scrape acquaintance · disacquaintance · inacquaintance · acquaintanceless · acquaintanced · nodding acquaintance · renew acquaintances · acquaintance rape · acquaintanceship · nonacquaintance · unacquaintance · chance acquaintance · make someone's acquaintance
Hypernyms
Hyponyms
Relateds
Synonyms
acquaintance · knowledge · fellowship · intimacy · familiarity · kith
Translations (174)
be знаёмства (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · fi tuttu (person) · km ការស្គាល់គ្នា (person) · id rasa kenal (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · la nōtitia (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · sq njohje (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · ru знако́мая (person) · pag kabkabat (person) · ro cunoscută (person) · lv pazīšanās (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · ga aithnid (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · bg позна́нствa (one's circle of acquaintances) · hu ismeretség (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · de Bekannte (person) · tg ошно (person) · es amistad (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · nrf accointance (person) · vi người quen (person) · sv bekantskap (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · ml പരിചയക്കാരൻ (person) · nb bekjent (person) · te పరిచయము (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · fa-ira آشْنا (person) · vo jisevädan (person) · ky тааныш (person) · lad alishik (person) · bg позна́та (person) · uz tanish (person) · es conocimiento (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · hi परिचित (person) · cs známý (person) · tpi poroman (person) · ks زان (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · ca conegut (person) · ro cunoștință (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · uz tanishlik (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · ml പരിചയം (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · pl znajoma (person) · es conocido (person) · eo konato (person) · tpi poro (person) · it conoscenza (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · mk познаничка (person) · bg позна́йничка (person) · izh tuttahus (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · bg позна́нство (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · pt conhecido (person) · izh sebro (person) · es amiguete (person) · nl bekendheid (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · fa-ira آشِنایی (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · fr fréquentation (person) · ang cūþ (person) · es relación (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · hu ismerős (person) · sk známy (person) · tr tanıdık (person) · cs známost (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · lv paziņa (person) · da bekendt (person) · pl znajomy (person) · pt familiaridade (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · tk tanyş (person) · izh tuttava (person) · uk знайо́мство (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · tg шиносоӣ (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · tg ошноӣ (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · th คนรู้จัก (person) · mk запознавање (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · vo sevädan (person) · es trato (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · sc connoschènte (person) · uk знайо́мий (person) · tr eş dost (person) · id kenalan (person) · fr relation (person) · fr relation (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · sh poznánstvo (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · pox blaizĕk (person) · bg позна́йница (person) · el γνωστός (person) · vo seväd (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · lt pažįstama (person) · tt таныш (person) · fr connaissance (person) · nl kennis (person) · az tanış-biliş (person) · de Bekannter (person) · tr aşina (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · sc connoschimentu (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · sh по̀знанӣк (person) · de Bekanntschaft (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · cs známá (person) · ug تونۇش (person) · ivb am-ammo (person) · fi tuttava (person) · fa-ira آشْنایی (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · sk známosť (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · ckb ناسیار (person) · ro cunoștință (person) · ru знако́мый (person) · ga aitheantas (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · bg позна́йник (person) · ko 아는 사람 (person) · az tanışlıq (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · es conocida (person) · mrw kagiginawa (person) · be знаёмы (person) · lt pažįstamas (person) · el γνωριμία (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · izh sebra (person) · kk таныстық (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · ka ნაცნობი (person) · fr accointance (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · ar مَعْرِفَة (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · ru знако́мство (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · bg позна́ти (one's circle of acquaintances) · kk таныс (person) · ky тааныштык (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · it conoscenza (person) · fi tuttavasuhde (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · de Umgang (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · sh позна́нство (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · gl familiaridade (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · sl poznanstvo (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · nl bekende (person) · mk познаник (person) · tg шинос (person) · sh по̀знаница (person) · gl coñecido (person) · az aşna (person) · be знаёмая (person) · ko 지인 (person) · lt pažintis (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · rm enconuschent (person) · es junta (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · cy cydnabod (person) · cmn 熟人 (person) · mn танил (person) · sh pòznanica (person) · ja 知人 (person) · az tanış (person) · my အသိအကျွမ်း (person) · hy ծանոթ (person) · ro cunoscut (person) · th ผู้คุ้นเคย (person) · bcl kamidbid (person) · te పరిచితుడు (person) · sh pòznanīk (person) · nb forbindelse (person) · tyv таныш (person) · hy ծանոթություն (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · vo hisevädan (person) · sk známa (person) · ba таныш (person) · fi tuttavuus (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · tl kakilala (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · bg позна́т (person) · br konesañs (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · ks زٲنؠ کار (person) · ka ნაცნობობა (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · bo ངོ་ཤེས་པ (person) · fr connaissance (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · ks ٲشنٲوؠ (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · pl znajomość (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · hi परिचय (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · ja 知り合い (state of being acquainted, acquaintanceship) · grc γνώριμος (person) · uk знайо́ма (person) · fa-ira آشِنا (person) · cmn 相識 /相识 (person) · tl kakilala (person) · ja 知り合い (person) · sv bekant (person)