ac·quain·tance 
/əˈkweɪntn̩s/ noun
plural ac·quain·tanc·es /əˈkweɪntn̩s/ noun 1 [count] : someone who is known but who is not a close friend
▪ Is he an acquaintance of yours? [=have you met him?] ▪ She ran into an old acquaintance at the grocery store. ▪ My wife and I met through a mutual acquaintance. [=a friend introduced us to each other] ▪ a casual acquaintance ▪ friends and acquaintances 2 [noncount] formal : the state of knowing someone in a personal or social way : the state of knowing someone as an acquaintance
▪ our family's close acquaintance with our neighbors ▪ It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. [=(less formally) it's nice to meet you] ▪ She made the acquaintance of [=she met] a man from the city. ▪ She struck up an acquaintance with a man from the city. ▪ a doctor of my acquaintance [=a doctor that I know] ▪ He seemed cold on/at first acquaintance [=when I first met him], but later I realized that he was just shy. ▪ He seemed cold at first, but on closer/further acquaintance I realized that he was just shy. 3 : knowledge about something — + with [singular] ▪ She has only a nodding/slight/superficial acquaintance with the facts of the case. [=she knows only a little about the facts of the case] ▪ He has more than a passing acquaintance with wine. [=he knows a lot about wine] [noncount] ▪ While he has some acquaintance with the subject, he is not an expert.
▪ Is he an acquaintance of yours? [=have you met him?] ▪ She ran into an old acquaintance at the grocery store. ▪ My wife and I met through a mutual acquaintance. [=a friend introduced us to each other] ▪ a casual acquaintance ▪ friends and acquaintances
▪ our family's close acquaintance with our neighbors ▪ It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. [=(less formally) it's nice to meet you] ▪ She made the acquaintance of [=she met] a man from the city. ▪ She struck up an acquaintance with a man from the city. ▪ a doctor of my acquaintance [=a doctor that I know] ▪ He seemed cold on/at first acquaintance [=when I first met him], but later I realized that he was just shy. ▪ He seemed cold at first, but on closer/further acquaintance I realized that he was just shy.
— acquaintanceship noun, plural acquaintanceships
[count] ▪ An acquaintanceship grew between the two men. [noncount] ▪ Her long acquaintanceship [=acquaintance] with sorrow began when her young husband died.
[count] ▪ An acquaintanceship grew between the two men. [noncount] ▪ Her long acquaintanceship [=acquaintance] with sorrow began when her young husband died.
