An acquaintance is someonean unspecified person you know, but usually not very well. It can also mean the statethe condition or fact of being in that situation of knowing someone, or the relationshipthe way two people are connected or related itself.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-18. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /əˈkweɪntəns/
Easy pronunciation: uh-KWAYN-tuhns (approximate spelling).
Stress: Stress is on the second syllable: KWAYN.
Use this pronunciation for the noun meaning a person you know, not the meaning of personal knowledge.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-18. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Acquaintance Meaning
someone you know, but not usually a close friend
Part of speech: noun
Definition: a person with whom you are acquainted
Example: I have trouble remembering the names of all my acquaintances.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- friend — Sometimes used loosely, but it usually means a closer relationship than acquaintance.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-18. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Other Meanings of Acquaintance
Meaning 2
knowledge gained from knowing or studying someone or something
Part of speech: noun
Definition: personal knowledge or information about someone or something
Example: Her acquaintance with local history helped her write the report.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- familiarity — A strong match for this sense.
- conversance — Rare and formal; works in this sense.
- conversancy — Rare and formal; works in this sense.
Meaning 3
a knowing relationship that is weaker than friendship
Part of speech: noun
Definition: a relationship less intimate than friendship
Example: They were acquaintances, not close friends.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- acquaintanceship — Direct match for this sense.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-18. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Acquaintance Synonyms
Similar Meaning
- familiarity
a person with whom you are acquainted
- friend
a relationship less intimate than friendship
- acquaintanceship
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-18. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- Using acquaintance to mean a close friend.
- Confusing acquaintance with acquaintanceship, which names the relationship rather than the person.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-18. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does acquaintance mean?
Acquaintance usually means a person you know, but not very well. It can also mean the fact of knowing someone or something, or the relationship between two people who are not close friends.
What is a synonym for acquaintance?
For the common meaning, a practical synonym is friend only in a loose sense, though it often suggests a closer relationship. For the knowledge sense, familiarity is a better synonym. For the relationship sense, acquaintanceship works well.
Is an acquaintance a friend?
Not usually. An acquaintance is someone you know, but who is generally less close than a friend.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-18. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.