different between relationship vs acquaintance

English

Etymology

From relation +? -ship.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /???le??(?)n??p/
• (US) IPA^(key): /???le???n???p/
• Hyphenation: re?la?tion?ship

Noun

relationship (plural relationships)

1. Connection or association; the condition of being related.
2. (mathematics) The links between the x-values and y-values of ordered pairs of numbers especially coordinates.
3. Kinship; being related by blood or marriage.
4. A romantic or sexual involvement.
   • 1975 March 17, Marian Christy, "Suzy Chaffee, A Liberated Beauty", The Lebanon Daily News

     I'm not advocating sexual promiscuity but I think it's possible for a woman to have many kinds of sexual relationships with many men and that shouldn't affect the status of the marriage.

   • 2000, April 8, Dorthea Straus, "Oates on Marilyn: Men, drugs, tragedy", The Baltimore Sun

     Her most satisfying sexual relationship seemed to be a threesome with Charles Chaplin Jr. and Eddy Robinson Jr., the spurned sons of famous film fathers.

5. A way in which two or more people behave and are involved with each other
6. (music) The level or degree of affinity between keys, chords and tones.

Hyponyms

• joking relationship

Derived terms

• entity-relationship diagram
• entity-relationship model
• relationship anarchy
• relationshipless
• relationshiply
• relationshippy
• relationshopping

Translations

See also

• relate
• relation
• relative

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