different between acquaintance vs paramour

English

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman aquaintaunce, aqueintance, Old French acointance (“friendship, familiarity”), from Old French acointer (“to acquaint”). Compare French accointance.

Morphologically acquaint +? -ance.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /??kwe?nt?ns/
• (US) IPA^(key): /??kwe?n.t?ns/

Noun

acquaintance (countable and uncountable, plural acquaintances)

1. (uncountable) A state of being acquainted with a person; originally indicating friendship, intimacy, but now suggesting a slight knowledge less deep than that of friendship; acquaintanceship. [from 12th c.]

   I know of the man; but have no acquaintance with him.

   • 1799, William Jones (translator), Hito'pade'sa, in The Works, Volume 6, page 22:

     Contract no friend?hip, or even acquaintance, with a guileful man : he re?embles a coal, which when hot burneth the hand, and when cold blacketh it.

2. (countable) A person or persons with whom one is acquainted. [from 14th c.]
3. (uncountable) Such people collectively; one's circle of acquaintances (with plural concord). [from 15th c.]
   • 1792, Mary Wollstonecraft, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, Penguin 2004, p. 230:

     Their mother […] was busy in the mean time in keeping up her connections, as she termed a numerous acquaintance, lest her girls should want a proper introduction into the great world.

4. Personal knowledge (with a specific subject etc.). [from 16th c.]

Usage notes

• Synonym notes: The words acquaintance, familiarity, and intimacy now mark different degrees of closeness in social intercourse. Acquaintance arises from occasional intercourse or interaction; as, "our acquaintance has been a brief one". We can speak of a slight or an intimate acquaintance. Familiarity is the result of continued acquaintance. It springs from persons being frequently together, so as to wear off all restraint and reserve; as, "the familiarity of old companions". Intimacy is the result of close connection, and the freest interchange of thought; as, "the intimacy of established friendship".

Synonyms

• familiarity, fellowship, intimacy, knowledge
• See also Thesaurus:acquaintance

Derived terms

• nodding acquaintance
• renew acquaintances

Related terms

• acquaint

Translations

References

• acquaintance in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• acquaintance at OneLook Dictionary Search

English

Alternative forms

• paramours

Etymology

From Middle English paramour, paramoure, peramour, paramur, from Old French par amor (“for love's sake”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?pæ.??.m??/, /?pæ.??.m??/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?pæ??m??/

  (Mary–marry–merry distinction)

  (Mary–marry–merry merger)

Noun

paramour (plural paramours)

1. (somewhat archaic) An illicit lover, either male or female.

   Synonyms: leman, mistress; see also Thesaurus:mistress
2. (obsolete) The Virgin Mary or Jesus Christ (when addressed by a person of the opposite sex).

Translations

Adverb

paramour (not comparable)

1. (obsolete, of loving, etc.) Passionately, out of sexual desire. [from 14^thc.]

   Synonyms: devotedly, passionately

   • For paramour I loved her fyrst ere thou.

Further reading

• paramour on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• “paramour”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–present.