acquaint

English

Etymology

From Middle English aqueinten, acointen, from Old French acointier, from Late Latin accognitāre, from Latin ad + cognitus, past participle of cognoscere (“to know”), from con- + noscere (“to know”). See quaint, know.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /əˈkweɪnt/
• Hyphenation: ac‧quaint
• Rhymes: -eɪnt

Verb

acquaint (third-person singular simple present acquaints, present participle acquainting, simple past and past participle acquainted)

1. (transitive, followed by with) To furnish or give experimental knowledge of; to make (one) to know; to make familiar.
   • I think you should acquaint him with the realities of the situation.
   • (Can we date this quote?) John Locke

     Before a man can speak on any subject, it is necessary to be acquainted with it.

   • (Can we date this quote?) Isaiah 53:3

     A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

2. (transitive, archaic, followed by of or that) To communicate notice to; to inform; to make cognizant.
   • (Can we date this quote?) William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, III-iv

     Acquaint her here of my son Paris' love.

   • (Can we date this quote?) William Shakespeare, Henry IV, Part II, IV-i

     I must acquaint you that I have received New dated letters from Northumberland.

3. (transitive, obsolete) To familiarize; to accustom.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Evelyn to this entry?)

Synonyms

• (to make familiar): familiarize
• (to communicate notice to): advise, apprise, inform; See also Thesaurus:inform
• (to familiarize; to accustom): habituate, inure

Translations

to furnish or give experimental knowledge of

• Belarusian: знаёміць impf (znajómicʹ), пазнаёміць pf (paznajómicʹ)
• Bulgarian: запознавам (zapoznavam), известявам (bg) (izvestjavam)
• Finnish: tutustuttaa (fi), perehdyttää (fi)

• German: vertraut machen
• Spanish: dar a conocer
• Ukrainian: знайо́мити impf (znajómyty), познайо́мити pf (poznajómyty)

to communicate notice to

• Bulgarian: съобщавам (bg) (sǎobštavam)

• German: in Kenntnis setzen (with davon), mitteilen (de), unterrichten (de) (with darüber), informieren (de) (with darüber)

to familiarize; to accustom

• Bulgarian: запознавам (zapoznavam)
• Portuguese: familiarizar (pt)

• Spanish: familiarizar (es)

Adjective

acquaint (not comparable)

1. (obsolete) Acquainted.

Related terms

• acquaintance
• acquainted

References

• acquaint in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• acquaint in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• acquaint at OneLook Dictionary Search