ACQUAINT Synonyms: 58 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'acquaint' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of acquaint are apprise , inform , and notify . While all these words mean "to make one aware of something," acquaint lays stress on introducing to or familiarizing with. // acquaint yourself with the keyboard

Q: When is 'apprise' a more appropriate choice than 'acquaint'?

The words apprise and acquaint are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, apprise implies communicating something of special interest or importance. // keep us apprised of the situation

Q: Where would 'inform' be a reasonable alternative to 'acquaint'?

The synonyms inform and acquaint are sometimes interchangeable, but inform implies the imparting of knowledge especially of facts or occurrences. // informed us of the crisis

Q: When would 'notify' be a good substitute for 'acquaint'?

While in some cases nearly identical to acquaint , notify implies sending notice of something requiring attention or demanding action. // notified the witness when to appear

acquaint

verb

ə-ˈkwānt

Definition of acquaint

as in to introduce

to impart knowledge of a new thing or situation to Mr. King spent the first week of the summer internship acquainting everyone with the new computers

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in to inform

to give information to his sailor friend acquainted him with the latest navigational aids for weekend yachtsmen

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to present

to make (one person) known (to another) socially hoping that someone would acquaint them with the new neighbors

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb acquaint differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of acquaint are apprise, inform, and notify. While all these words mean "to make one aware of something," acquaint lays stress on introducing to or familiarizing with.

acquaint yourself with the keyboard

When is apprise a more appropriate choice than acquaint?

The words apprise and acquaint are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, apprise implies communicating something of special interest or importance.

keep us apprised of the situation

Where would inform be a reasonable alternative to acquaint?

The synonyms inform and acquaint are sometimes interchangeable, but inform implies the imparting of knowledge especially of facts or occurrences.

informed us of the crisis

When would notify be a good substitute for acquaint?

While in some cases nearly identical to acquaint, notify implies sending notice of something requiring attention or demanding action.

notified the witness when to appear

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of acquaint Some of these thinkers were good friends; a few were hardly acquainted. — Emily Eakin, Harpers Magazine, 28 July 2026 Fans of both of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s semi-autobiographical book series and NBC’s classic adaptation, which aired from 1974-1983, are well-acquainted with Walnut Grove. — Sabienna Bowman, PEOPLE, 12 July 2026 The cocktail is a fantastic way to get acquainted with Fernet Branca, and who knows? — Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 4 July 2026 Details of a motive were not released, and investigators did not say if the suspect and victim were acquainted. — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 1 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for acquaint

Recent Examples of Synonyms for acquaint

Verb

Ministry spokesman Sun Li-fang said NCSIST had already verified jamming capabilities for the newer frequency and would introduce them through future upgrades.

— Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 16 Aug. 2026
Báez introduced himself to this long-running rivalry with a bang, becoming the first player in baseball history to hit three home runs in his first major-league game.

— Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of introduce

Verb

Besides its use in educational settings and by other researchers, the report also helps inform national security policy and has been cited by NATO in the past, one source said.

— Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026
The queen is hysterical when Orwyle informs her that Sunfyre has razed the Mooton army outside Maidenpool.

— Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of inform

Verb

This summer, Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office deputies have also pulled over teens for driving e-bikes and e-motorcycles recklessly, but also to educate teens on driving responsibly and the rules of the road.

— Ashley Portillo, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
As during the first Taliban regime in the 1990s, women activists have organized underground schools to educate girls denied access to formal classrooms.

— Rina Amiri, Foreign Affairs, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of educate

Verb

The study of a patient’s urine was an extremely popular practice in the Middle Ages, even though doctors could tell precious little about what was ailing someone just by looking at a sample in a jar.

— T.M. Brown, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026
Backstage, Kenny Omega calls the Don Callis Family bullies and tells them to pick any three members to face him and The Young Bucks, who are standing beside Omega, next week.

— Rob Wolkenbrod, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of tell

Verb

At the end of the day, Enterprise is a show best enjoyed by Star Trek fans who like to pore over the Memory Alpha wiki and familiarize themselves with Trek minutiae.

— Chris Snellgrove, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Aug. 2026
The following are key fridge components with which to familiarize yourself.

— Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of familiarize

Verb

Eaton advises checking local facilities for specific costs and remembering that those costs do not include in-vitro fertilization treatment if the patient later chooses to use the eggs.

— Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026
My whole life, my father had brightened at the sight of me, laughed at my jokes, and advised my brother, three years younger, to follow my example.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of advise

Verb

Around the age of 10 I was enrolled in a community art class where, on the first day, we were instructed to sketch a bowl of fruit placed on a table in front of us.

— Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 11 Aug. 2026
The man composes his responses with the help of a manual that instructs him on which incoming string of Chinese characters should be answered with which other string of Chinese characters.

— Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of instruct

Browse Nearby Words

acoustic

acquaint

acquaintance

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Acquaint.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acquaint. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of acquaint

verb

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on acquaint

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

zeugma

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes