acquaint
Americanverb (used with object)
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acquaints,
present (3rd person singular)
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acquainted,
past participle, past
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acquainting
present participle
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to make more or less familiar, aware, or conversant (usually followed bywith ).
to acquaint the mayor with our plan.
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to furnish with knowledge; inform (usually followed bywith ).
to acquaint the manager with one's findings.
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to bring into social contact; introduce (usually followed bywith ).
She acquainted her roommate with my cousin.
verb
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to make (a person) familiar or conversant (with); inform (of)
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(foll by with) to introduce (to); bring into contact (with)
Usage
What is another way to say acquaint? To acquaint two or more people is to bring them into social contact. How is acquaint different from introduce? Find out on Thesaurus.com.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
acquaintsimple
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acquaintssimple
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have acquaintedperfect
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has acquaintedperfect
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am acquaintingprogressive
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are acquaintingprogressive
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is acquaintingprogressive
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have been acquaintingperfect progressive
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has been acquaintingperfect progressive
Past
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acquaintedsimple
-
had acquaintedperfect
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was acquaintingprogressive
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were acquaintingprogressive
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had been acquaintingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of acquaint
1250–1300; Middle English aqueinten, acointen < Anglo-French acointer, Old French acoint ( i ) er, verbal derivative of acointe familiar, known < Latin accognitus, past participle of accognōscere to recognize, equivalent to ac- ac- + co- co- + gni- know 1 + -tus past participle suffix
Explanation
When you acquaint yourself with something, you familiarize yourself with it. When you visit a new city, you should acquaint yourself with the layout of the streets so you don’t get lost. You can also acquaint yourself with another person, by introducing yourself and getting know them. When you see the moving truck pull in across the street, you might want to run over and acquaint yourself with your new neighbors. The word acquaint comes via French from the Latin accognoscere, which is made up of ad- “to,” or “toward,” and cognoscere “come to know.”
Vocabulary lists containing acquaint
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Let’s acquaint ourselves with Article 1, Section 5 of the Constitution.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 26, 2026
He now forecasts that about half a gigawatt will be deployed in the second half of 2026, reflecting the time needed to acquaint to new rack architecture.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2025
The stage has just been built for the first time, and he's eager to acquaint himself with all the ramps and video walls.
From BBC ● Jan. 21, 2025
That is all the invitation they need to acquaint themselves with the goods in a way they are rarely permitted at serious institutions.
From New York Times ● Apr. 23, 2024
I make it my business to acquaint myself with where objects properly belong in a house.
From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro
Learning about the work of Jesus Christ acquaints them with suffering.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2025
It reminds you of an extraordinary feat and acquaints you with an interesting, enigmatic man.
From New York Times ● Oct. 10, 2018
After a poker game acquaints her with a pair of soldiers, a teasing playfulness also emerges.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 24, 2018
Like nothing else, it acquaints women with extremes of feeling.
From Economist ● Apr. 19, 2018
Alas, the storm is come again! my best way is to creep under his gaberdine;412-12 there is no other shelter hereabout: misery acquaints a man with strange bed-fellows.
From Journeys Through Bookland, Vol. 8 by Sylvester, Charles Herbert
Samson, who is studying to be a crime analyst, found that it was easy to get acquainted with the older residents.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
It was in these formative years that Greg became acquainted with Native American people in Santa Rosa, always feeling a mysterious pull toward them.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026
While European and other international sports fans are acquainted with ease of foot travel, getting around as a pedestrian is practically impossible in the biggest stadium in the United States’ biggest metro area.
From Salon ● Jun. 3, 2026
I became acquainted with “Who’s Sorry Now?” courtesy of Connie Francis.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 14, 2026
If you are one of these, and if you are acquainted with the code, then I assure you the answer lies within your grasp.
From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart
As the World Cup landed in the U.S. for the first time in three decades, international soccer fans have been acquainting themselves with the distinctly American pleasures of barbecue, highway traffic jams and Texas summers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 13, 2026
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," he said, adding Moscow was "acquainting itself" with the joint statement issued in Jeddah.
From BBC ● Mar. 12, 2025
The multiplatinum album acted as a coming-out-party, acquainting music lovers the world over with the incredible range of his gifts.
From Salon ● Nov. 15, 2024
Vaccines work by acquainting the immune system with a virus well enough to prompt a defense against it.
From New York Times ● Apr. 5, 2021
Newton replied, thanking Oldenburg ‘for your candour in acquainting me with Mr Hook’s insinuations’ and asking for an opportunity to set the record straight.
From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
