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Familiarize vs Acquaintance - What's the difference?

familiarize | acquaintance |

As a verb familiarize

is to make, or become familiar with something or someone.

As a noun acquaintance is

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.

familiarize

English

Alternative forms

* familiarise (non-Oxford British spelling)

Verb

(familiariz)
  • To make, or become familiar with something or someone.

    • Related terms

    * familiarization ----

    acquaintance

    English

    (Webster 1913)

    Alternative forms

    * acquaintaunce

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (uncountable) 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
    • I know of the man; but have no acquaintance with him.
  • * 1799 , '', in ''The Works , Volume 6, page 22:
    • Contract no friend?hip, or even acquaintance , with a guileful man : he re?embles a coal, which when hot burneth the hand, and when cold blacketh it.
  • (countable) A person or persons with whom one is acquainted.
  • * 1848 , , Chapter XVI:
    • Montgomery was an old acquaintance of Ferguson.

    Usage notes

    * Synonym notes: The words acquaintance , familiarity, and intimacy 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.

    Synonyms

    * familiarity, fellowship, intimacy, knowledge * See also

    Derived terms

    * nodding acquaintance

    Related terms

    * acquaint

    References

    * *