from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Acquaintance \Ac*quaint"ance\, n. [OE. aqueintance, OF.
acointance, fr. acointier. See {Acquaint}.]
1. 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; as, I know the man; but have no
acquaintance with him.
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Contract no friendship, or even acquaintance, with a
guileful man. --Sir W.
Jones.
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2. A person or persons with whom one is acquainted.
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Montgomery was an old acquaintance of Ferguson.
--Macaulay.
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Note: In this sense the collective term acquaintance was
formerly both singular and plural, but it is now
commonly singular, and has the regular plural
acquaintances.
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{To be of acquaintance}, to be intimate.
{To take acquaintance of} or {with}, to make the acquaintance
of. [Obs.]
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Syn: Familiarity; intimacy; fellowship; knowledge.
Usage: {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. 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. Intimacy is the
result of close connection, and the freest interchange
of thought; as, the intimacy of established
friendship.
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Our admiration of a famous man lessens upon our
nearer acquaintance with him. --Addison.
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We contract at last such a familiarity with them
as makes it difficult and irksome for us to call
off our minds. --Atterbury.
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It is in our power to confine our friendships
and intimacies to men of virtue. --Rogers.
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