# acquaintance

> English word · Noun · IPA /əˈkweɪntəns/ · frequency rank #13,849

## Definitions
1. A state of being acquainted with a person; originally indicating friendship, intimacy, but now suggesting a slight knowledge less deep than that of friendship; acquaintanceship.
2. A person or persons with whom one is acquainted.
3. Such people collectively; one's circle of acquaintances (with plural concord).
4. Personal knowledge (with a specific subject etc.).

## Etymology
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.

## Common misspellings (18)
`accquaintance`, `acqauintance`, `acqquaintance`, `acquainatnce`, `acquainntance`, `acquaintacne`, `acquaintancce`, `acquaintanec`, `acquaintannce`, `acquaintence`, `acquaintnace`, `acquainttance`, `acquaitnance`, `acquanitance`, `acquiantance`, `acuqaintance`, `aqcuaintance`, `caquaintance`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/acquaintance