acquaintance

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   Someone you know slightly, but who is not a close friend.

   He's just a business acquaintance, not a real friend.

2. 2
   noun

   Slight knowledge of someone or something.

   I have only a passing acquaintance with the law.

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.

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