English
rfc|Leftover rough list at end of defns. Usage notes are a mess.
Etymology
Old English aqueintance, Old French acointance, from acointier.
Pronunciation
IPA: WEAE /��kwen.t�ns/
audio|en-us-acquaintance.ogg|Audio (US)
Noun
en-noun
- uncountable A state of being acquainted, or of having intimate, or more than slight or superficial, knowledge; personal knowledge gained by intercourse short of that of friendship or intimacy
#:I know of the man; but have no acquaintance with him.
#*Sir W. Jones,
#*:Contract no friendship, or even acquaintance, with a guileful man.
- countable A person or persons with whom one is acquainted.
#*Thomas Macaulay
#*:Montgomery was an old acquaintance of Ferguson.
:*To be of acquaintance, to be intimate
:*To take acquaintance of or with
:*To make the acquaintance of.
Translations
trans-top|being acquainted
Dutch: bekendheid f
Finnish: tuttavuus, tuttavasuhde
trans-mid
German: Bekanntschaft f
Japanese: ���� (shiriai)
trans-bottom
trans-top|person
Catalan: conegutm
Dutch: kennis m, bekende m
Finnish: tuttava, tuttu
German: Bekannter
trans-mid
Italian: conoscenza m
Japanese: �人 (chijin)
Kurdish: KUchar|�اس�ار
trans-bottom
Usage notes
Acquaintance, Familiarity, Intimacy.
These words mark different degrees of closeness in social intercourse.
Acquaintance arises from occasional intercourse; as, our acquaintance has been a brief one. We can speak of a slight or an intimate acquaintance.
*Our admiration of a famous man lessens upon our nearer acquaintance with him. - Joseph Addison
Familiarity is the result of continued acquaintance. It springs from persons being frequently together, so as to wear off all restraint and reserve; as, the familiarity of old companions.
*We contract at last such a familiarity with them as makes it difficult and irksome for us to call off our minds. - Atterbury?
Intimacy is the result of close connection, and the freest interchange of thought; as, the intimacy of established friendship.
*It is in our power to confine our friendships and intimacies to men of virtue. - Rogers?
Synonyms
familiarity
fellowship
intimacy
knowledge
ar:acquaintance
fr:acquaintance
io:acquaintance
id:acquaintance
it:acquaintance
hu:acquaintance
pt:acquaintance
fi:acquaintance
ta:acquaintance
te:acquaintance
vi:acquaintance
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