acquainted
Americanadjective
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having personal knowledge as a result of study, experience, etc.; informed (usually followed bywith ).
to be acquainted with law.
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brought into social contact; made familiar.
people acquainted through mutual friends.
adjective
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(sometimes foll by with) on terms of familiarity but not intimacy
-
(foll by with) having knowledge or experience (of); familiar (with)
Other Word Forms
- acquaintedness noun
- half-acquainted adjective
- quasi-acquainted adjective
- unacquainted adjective
- well-acquainted adjective
Etymology
Origin of acquainted
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English; acquaint + -ed 2
Explanation
When you're acquainted with someone, it means you know each other. If you're taking the city bus and realize that you know several of your fellow riders, you could say, "I'm acquainted with half of the passengers on this bus." As long as you know something or someone fairly well, you are acquainted with it, so you can be acquainted with a city, a mathematical idea, or a particular poem. The trickiest thing about the word acquainted is the way it's spelled. Like the words acquit and acquire, you just have to keep in mind that a c needs to go before the qu. After you've spelled it several times, you'll be well acquainted with the correct spelling.
Vocabulary lists containing acquainted
"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 7–11
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"Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare, Act II
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The Color Purple
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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.
I became acquainted with “Who’s Sorry Now?” courtesy of Connie Francis.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026
It’s time for investors to get acquainted with robots.
From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026
While Suaifan has acknowledged being acquainted with the defendants, Shugalei has denied knowing them.
From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026
Intimately acquainted with Richard’s malignity, these ruined royals know only too well the toll of his depraved machinations.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 26, 2026
He was well acquainted with how free Greeks ruled themselves.
From "Circumference" by Nicholas Nicastro
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.
