GNU Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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1.       
   Acquaintance , n. [OE. aqueintance, OF. acointance, fr. acointier. See Acquaint.]
   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.
   1913 Webster
   Contract no friendship, or even acquaintance, with a guileful man.
   Sir W. Jones.
   
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   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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   ☞ 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.  -- 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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