The difference between Acquaintance and Friend

When used as nouns, acquaintance means a state of being acquainted, or of having intimate, or more than slight or superficial, knowledge, whereas friend means a person other than a family member, spouse or lover whose company one enjoys and towards whom one feels affection.

Friend is also verb with the meaning: to act as a friend to, to befriend.

check bellow for the other definitions of Acquaintance and Friend

  1. Acquaintance as a noun (uncountable):

    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; acquaintanceship.

    Examples:

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

  2. Acquaintance as a noun (countable):

    A person or persons with whom one is acquainted.

  1. Friend as a noun:

    A person other than a family member, spouse or lover whose company one enjoys and towards whom one feels affection.

    Examples:

    "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."

  2. Friend as a noun:

    A boyfriend or girlfriend.

  3. Friend as a noun:

    An associate who provides assistance.

    Examples:

    "The Automobile Association is every motorist's friend. The police is every law-abiding citizen's friend."

  4. Friend as a noun:

    A person with whom one is vaguely or indirectly acquainted

    Examples:

    "a friend of a friend; I added him as a friend on Facebook, but I hardly know him."

  5. Friend as a noun:

    A person who backs or supports something.

    Examples:

    "I’m not a friend of cheap wine."

  6. Friend as a noun (informal):

    An object or idea that can be used for good.

    Examples:

    "Wiktionary is your friend."

  7. Friend as a noun (colloquial, ironic, used only in the [[vocative]]):

    Used as a form of address when warning someone.

    Examples:

    "You’d better watch it, friend."

  8. Friend as a noun (object-oriented programming):

    A function or class granted special access to the private and protected members of another class.

  9. Friend as a noun (climbing):

    A spring-loaded camming device.

  10. Friend as a noun (obsolete):

    A paramour of either sex.

    Examples:

    "rfquotek Shakespeare"

  11. Friend as a noun (Scotland, obsolete):

    A relative.

  1. Friend as a verb (transitive, obsolete):

    To act as a friend to, to befriend; to be friendly to, to help.

  2. Friend as a verb (transitive):

    To add (a person) to a list of friends on a social networking site; to officially designate (someone) as a friend.

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