acquaint

ac·quaint

transitive verb \ə-ˈkwānt\

Definition of ACQUAINT

1

: to cause to know personally <was acquainted with the mayor>

2

: to make familiar : cause to know firsthand

Examples of ACQUAINT

1. This class is designed to acquaint students with the region's most important writers.
2. <Mr. King spent the first week of the summer internship acquainting everyone with the new computers.>

Origin of ACQUAINT

Middle English, from Anglo-French acuinter, aquaynter, from Old French acoins familiar, from Latin accognitus, past participle of accognoscere to recognize, from ad- + cognoscere to know — more at cognition

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to ACQUAINT

Synonyms

accustom, familiarize, initiate, introduce, orient, orientate

Related Words

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

Near Antonyms

misinform, mislead

See Synonym Discussion at inform

Rhymes with ACQUAINT

attaint, bepaint, complaint, constraint, distraint, greasepaint, impaint, oil paint, restraint, war paint