acquaint
Pronunciation
  • IPA: /əˈkweɪnt/
Verb

acquaint (acquaints, present participle acquainting; 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.
    • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), imprinted at London: By Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981 ↗, Isaiah 53:3 ↗:
      He is despised and reiected of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with griefe: and we hid as it were our faces from him; hee was despised, and wee esteemed him not.
    • 1693, [John Locke], “§162”, in Some Thoughts Concerning Education, London: […] A[wnsham] and J[ohn] Churchill, […], OCLC 1161614482 ↗, page 203 ↗:
      Before a Man can be in any capacity to ſpeak on any ſubject, 'tis neceſsary to be acquainted with it: Or elſe 'tis as fooliſh to ſet him to diſcourſe on it, as to ſet a blind Man to talk of Colours, or a deaf man of Muſick.
  2. (transitive, archaic, followed by of or that) To communicate notice to; to inform; to make cognizant.
    • c. 1591–1595, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act III, scene iv], page 68 ↗, column 2:
      Acquaint her here, of my Sonne Paris Loue,
    • c. 1596–1599, William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act IV, scene i], page 91 ↗, column 1:
      I muſt acquaint you, that I haue recciu'd
      New-dated Letters from Northumberland:
  3. (transitive, obsolete) To familiarize; to accustom.
Synonyms Translations
  • German: vertraut machen
  • Russian: ознакомить
  • Spanish: dar a conocer
Translations Translations Adjective

acquaint (not comparable)

  1. (obsolete) Acquainted.
Related terms


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