Acquaintant

/əˈkweɪntənt/ noun

Definition

A person with whom one is acquainted; someone known to you but not a close friend.

Etymology

From Old French acointier (to make known) with the suffix -ant (meaning 'one who' or referring to an agent). This is an older, more archaic form of 'acquaintance,' using the -ant suffix instead of the modern -ance ending.

Kelly Says

Acquaintant is basically an obsolete word for 'acquaintance'—English speakers stopped using it because the -ance ending felt more natural, but you might encounter it in Shakespeare or other historical texts!

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