Friend vs. Acquaintance — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on September 16, 2023
A friend is someone you have a close, personal relationship with, involving trust and mutual affection. An acquaintance is someone you know but have a less personal, more superficial relationship with.
Difference Between Friend and Acquaintance
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Key Differences
A friend is someone with whom you share a deeper emotional connection, often involving trust, loyalty, and mutual affection. An acquaintance, on the other hand, is someone you may know but share only a superficial connection with, such as meeting them occasionally.
A friend is typically someone you spend significant time with, sharing personal stories, joys, and sorrows. An acquaintance is someone you might meet occasionally for specific reasons like work or casual social events but don't typically share intimate details with.
Grammatically, both "friend" and "acquaintance" function primarily as nouns. While "friend" can sometimes be used as a verb, as in "to friend someone on social media," "acquaintance" doesn't enjoy this verbal form.
Friends often stand by you in both good and bad times, providing emotional support and companionship. Acquaintances may not have the same level of commitment or involvement in your life; the relationship is more transactional.
In terms of social circles, friends are those you keep closer and prioritize, often making an effort to sustain the relationship. Acquaintances may float in and out of your social life with less emotional impact and commitment.
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Comparison Chart
Emotional Connection
Deep and personal
Superficial
Time Spent
Significant
Occasional
Grammatical Usage
Noun, sometimes verb
Mainly noun
Level of Commitment
High
Low
Role in Social Circle
Close and prioritized
More peripheral
Compare with Definitions
Friend
Someone with whom you share mutual affection and trust.
John has been my friend since high school.
Acquaintance
Involves a lower level of emotional commitment.
An acquaintance is less demanding emotionally.
Friend
One who supports, sympathizes with, or patronizes a group, cause, or movement
Friends of the clean air movement.
Acquaintance
A person met occasionally for specific purposes.
She is an acquaintance from work.
Friend
A person you spend significant time with.
We became friends because we share the same hobbies.
Acquaintance
A person one knows slightly, but who is not a close friend
A wide circle of friends and acquaintances
Friend
Someone who offers emotional support and companionship.
A true friend is there for you, no matter what.
Acquaintance
A relationship based on such knowledge
Struck up an acquaintance with our new neighbor.
Friend
A relationship involving a high level of commitment.
Being friends involves a significant emotional commitment.
Acquaintance
Generally not someone you would confide in.
I wouldn't share personal details with an acquaintance.
Friend
A person whom one knows, likes, and trusts.
Acquaintance
Knowledge or experience of something
The pupils had little acquaintance with the language
Friend
A person whom one knows; an acquaintance.
Acquaintance
Knowledge of a person acquired by a relationship less intimate than friendship.
Friend
A person with whom one is allied in a struggle or cause; a comrade.
Acquaintance
A person whom one knows.
Friend
Friend A member of the Society of Friends; a Quaker.
Acquaintance
Knowledge or information about something or someone
Has a passing acquaintance with Chinese history.
Friend
(Informal) To add (someone) as a friend on a social networking website.
Acquaintance
(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.
I know of the man; but have no acquaintance with him.
Friend
(Archaic) To befriend.
Acquaintance
(countable) A person or persons with whom one is acquainted.
Friend
A person, typically someone other than a family member, spouse or lover, whose company one enjoys and towards whom one feels affection.
John and I have been friends ever since we were roommates at college.
Trust is important between friends.
I used to find it hard to make friends when I was shy.
We became friends in the war and remain friends to this day.
We were friends with some girls from the other school and stayed friends with them.
Acquaintance
(uncountable) Such people collectively; one's circle of acquaintances (with plural concord).
Friend
An associate who provides assistance.
The Automobile Association is every motorist's friend.
The police is every law-abiding citizen's friend.
Acquaintance
Personal knowledge (with a specific subject etc.).
Friend
A person with whom one is vaguely or indirectly acquainted.
A friend of a friend;
I added him as a friend on Facebook, but I hardly know
Acquaintance
A state of being acquainted, or of having intimate, or more than slight or superficial, knowledge; personal knowledge gained by intercourse short of that of friendship or intimacy; as, I know the man; but have no acquaintance with him.
Contract no friendship, or even acquaintance, with a guileful man.
Friend
A person who backs or supports something.
I’m not a friend of cheap wine.
Acquaintance
A person or persons with whom one is acquainted.
Montgomery was an old acquaintance of Ferguson.
Our admiration of a famous man lessens upon our nearer acquaintance with him.
We contract at last such a familiarity with them as makes it difficult and irksome for us to call off our minds.
It is in our power to confine our friendships and intimacies to men of virtue.
Friend
(informal) An object or idea that can be used for good.
Fruit is your friend.
Acquaintance
Personal knowledge or information about someone or something
Friend
Used as a form of address when warning someone.
You’d better watch it, friend.
Acquaintance
A relationship less intimate than friendship
Friend
(object-oriented programming) A function or class granted special access to the private and protected members of another class.
Acquaintance
A person with whom you are acquainted;
I have trouble remembering the names of all my acquaintances
We are friends of the family
Friend
(climbing) A spring-loaded camming device.
Acquaintance
Someone you know but share a superficial relationship with.
He's more of an acquaintance than a friend.
Friend
(euphemistic) A lover; a boyfriend or girlfriend.
Acquaintance
Mainly used as a noun in grammatical contexts.
I have many acquaintances in the industry.
Friend
A relative, a relation by blood or marriage.
Friends agree best at a distance.
Make friends of framet folk.
Friend
To act as a friend to, to befriend; to be friendly to, to help.
Friend
(transitive) To add (a person) to a list of friends on a social networking site; to officially designate (someone) as a friend.
Friend
One who entertains for another such sentiments of esteem, respect, and affection that he seeks his society and welfare; a wellwisher; an intimate associate; sometimes, an attendant.
Want gives to know the flatterer from the friend.
A friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
Friend
One not inimical or hostile; one not a foe or enemy; also, one of the same nation, party, kin, etc., whose friendly feelings may be assumed. The word is some times used as a term of friendly address.
Friend, how camest thou in hither?
Friend
One who looks propitiously on a cause, an institution, a project, and the like; a favorer; a promoter; as, a friend to commerce, to poetry, to an institution.
Friend
One of a religious sect characterized by disuse of outward rites and an ordained ministry, by simplicity of dress and speech, and esp. by opposition to war and a desire to live at peace with all men. They are popularly called Quakers.
America was first visited by Friends in 1656.
Friend
A paramour of either sex.
Friend
To act as the friend of; to favor; to countenance; to befriend.
Fortune friends the bold.
Friend
A person you know well and regard with affection and trust;
He was my best friend at the university
Friend
An associate who provides assistance;
He's a good ally in fight
They were friends of the workers
Friend
A person with whom you are acquainted;
I have trouble remembering the names of all my acquaintances
We are friends of the family
Friend
A person who backs a politician or a team etc.;
All their supporters came out for the game
They are friends of the library
Friend
A member of the Religious Society of Friends founded by George Fox (the Friends have never called themselves Quakers)
Friend
Can be a noun or sometimes a verb.
I decided to friend her on social media.
Common Curiosities
Can 'acquaintance' be used as a verb?
No, 'acquaintance' is primarily used as a noun.
Do acquaintances spend a lot of time together?
Acquaintances usually meet occasionally and for specific reasons.
What is an acquaintance?
An acquaintance is someone you know but have a more superficial relationship with.
Is emotional support common among acquaintances?
Emotional support is less common among acquaintances.
Is a friend more committed?
Yes, friendships generally involve a higher level of commitment.
Is emotional support common among friends?
Yes, emotional support is a key feature of friendships.
Do friends spend more time together?
Generally, friends spend more significant time together than acquaintances.
What's the plural form of friend?
The plural form of friend is 'friends.'
Can a friend become an acquaintance?
Yes, friendships can sometimes degrade into acquaintanceships if the emotional connection weakens.
What is a friend?
A friend is someone with whom you share a deep emotional connection and mutual trust.
Can 'friend' be used as a verb?
Yes, 'friend' can be used as a verb, especially in the context of social media.
What's the plural form of acquaintance?
The plural form of acquaintance is 'acquaintances.'
Can an acquaintance become a friend?
Yes, acquaintances can become friends if the relationship deepens.
How do friends differ from family?
Unlike family, friendship is a voluntary relationship that is often formed and maintained based on mutual affection and trust.
Is an acquaintance less committed?
Yes, acquaintances involve a lower level of emotional commitment.
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Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
