acquaint
Americanverb (used with object)
-
acquaints,
present (3rd person singular)
-
acquainted,
past participle, past
-
acquainting
present participle
-
to make more or less familiar, aware, or conversant (usually followed bywith ).
to acquaint the mayor with our plan.
-
to furnish with knowledge; inform (usually followed bywith ).
to acquaint the manager with one's findings.
-
to bring into social contact; introduce (usually followed bywith ).
She acquainted her roommate with my cousin.
verb
-
to make (a person) familiar or conversant (with); inform (of)
-
(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
-
acquaintssimple
-
have acquaintedperfect
-
has acquaintedperfect
-
am acquaintingprogressive
-
are acquaintingprogressive
-
is acquaintingprogressive
-
have been acquaintingperfect progressive
-
has been acquaintingperfect progressive
Past
-
acquaintedsimple
-
had acquaintedperfect
-
was acquaintingprogressive
-
were acquaintingprogressive
-
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
Frindle
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"My Antonia" by Willa Cather: Captivating Verbs
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Missing May
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Kassem suggests that new workers acquaint themselves with safety guidelines, and ensure they have proper channels to express concerns.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2025
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
This is standard fare - an opportunity for 'tracksuit staff' to acquaint themselves with the new coaching team and for the manager to start laying down his philosophy.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2025
O'Hanlon also suggested that climate change activists acquaint themselves with the specific ways in which smart climate change policies can help people improve their lives.
From Salon ● Jan. 18, 2024
I had no desire to acquaint myself with the machine’s crushing gears and movements.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
Learning about the work of Jesus Christ acquaints them with suffering.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2025
The book’s through line — such as it is — acquaints us with those Philpott holds dear, often by way of their maladies: her daughter’s asthma; her husband’s autoimmune condition; her father’s cardiac disease.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 11, 2022
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
A copy of the latter is in the curious library of Mr. Hill, and, as Mr. Park acquaints me, is without any specific edition numbered in the title.
From Microcosmography or, a Piece of the World Discovered; in Essays and Characters by John Earle
Greece is well acquainted with the trend, after hit musical "Mamma Mia", filmed on the island of Skopelos, triggered a jump in American visitors.
From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026
He also became well acquainted with orthopedist Frank Jobe, the team physician.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
We can’t live our lives to the extreme all the time, but we can do ourselves a favor and become better acquainted with exactly what we want and how to get it.
From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026
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
Those of his successors in each branch of natural philosophy with whom I was acquainted appeared even to my boy’s apprehensions as tyros engaged in the same pursuit.
From "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley
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
By acquainting himself with India so that whenever he tours India, it's easier for him.
From BBC ● Apr. 23, 2026
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.
