Acquaint — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb /ə-ˈkwānt/ ac·quaint

Meaning & Definition of Acquaint

Acquaint (verb)

  1. to cause to know personally
  2. to make familiar, to cause to know firsthand

Acquaint (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to impart knowledge of a new thing or situation to

    "Mr. King spent the first week of the summer internship acquainting everyone with the new computers"

    similar: accustom, familiarize, initiate, introduce, orient, orientate
    related: habituate, wont, apprise, brief, clue (in), fill in, inform, educate, enlighten, ground, instruct, school, train, verse, expose, present, subject, advise, tell, tip (off), warn, wise (up), reacquaint

  2. to give information to

    "his sailor friend acquainted him with the latest navigational aids for weekend yachtsmen"

    similar: advise, apprise, brief, catch up, clear, clue (in), enlighten, familiarize, fill in, hip, inform, instruct, tell, verse, wise (up), keep (someone) posted, let someone know
    related: advertise, alert, notify, announce (to), disclose (to), assure, certify, convince, reassure, warrant, educate, lecture, school, teach, tutor, disabuse, disenchant, disillusion, undeceive
    near: misinform, mislead

  3. to make (one person) known (to another) socially

    "hoping that someone would acquaint them with the new neighbors"

    similar: introduce, present
    related: address, greet, hail, meet, reacquaint, reintroduce

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Acquaint

The most common words with a similar meaning to Acquaint:

accustom, familiarize, initiate, introduce, orient, orientate, advise, apprise, brief, catch up, clear, clue (in), enlighten, fill in, hip, inform, instruct, tell, verse, wise (up), present, keep (someone) posted, let someone know

Related Words for Acquaint

habituate, wont, educate, ground, school, train, expose, subject, tip (off), warn, reacquaint, advertise, alert, notify, announce (to), disclose (to), assure, certify, convince, reassure, warrant, lecture, teach, tutor, disabuse, disenchant, disillusion, undeceive, address, greet

Near Antonyms of Acquaint

misinform, mislead

Word Forms of Acquaint

Inflections: acquainted, acquainting, acquaints

Origin & Etymology of Acquaint

Middle English acoynten, aqueynten, borrowed from Anglo-French acuinter, acointer, aqueinter, going back to Vulgar Latin *accognitāre, frequentative formation from the base of Latin accognōscere "to recognize," from ad- ad- + cognōscere "to get to know" cognition, quaint

First known use: 14th century

Words & Phrases Containing Acquaint

acquaint oneself with

Frequently Asked Questions about Acquaint

What does "Acquaint" mean?

"Acquaint" means to cause to know personally. As a verb, it is defined as: to cause to know personally. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Acquaint"?

Other words for "Acquaint" include accustom, familiarize, initiate, introduce, orient, orientate, advise and apprise. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Acquaint" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Acquaint"?

There are 56 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Acquaint". Common alternatives include accustom, familiarize, initiate, introduce, orient, orientate, advise, apprise, brief and catch up.

How do you use "Acquaint" in a sentence?

Examples of "Acquaint" in a sentence: "Mr. King spent the first week of the summer internship acquainting everyone with the new computers"; "his sailor friend acquainted him with the latest navigational aids for weekend yachtsmen"; "hoping that someone would acquaint them with the new neighbors".

Is "Acquaint" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Acquaint" is a verb.

How do you pronounce "Acquaint"?

"Acquaint" is pronounced /ə-ˈkwānt/ and divided into syllables as ac·quaint.

What is the origin of the word "Acquaint"?

"Acquaint" comes from Middle English acoynten, aqueynten, borrowed from Anglo-French acuinter, acointer, aqueinter, going back to Vulgar Latin *accognitāre, frequentative formation from the base of Latin accognōscere "to recognize," from ad- ad- + cognōscere "to get to know" cognition, quaint. First known use: 14th century.

What is another word for "Acquaint" meaning "to impart knowledge of a new thing or situation to"?

When "Acquaint" (verb) means to impart knowledge of a new thing or situation to, synonyms include accustom, familiarize, initiate, introduce, orient and orientate.