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new acquaintance
/njuː əˈkweɪntəns/
a recently met person
I met a new acquaintance at the conference who works in marketing.
This refers to someone you have just met, not yet a close friend.
neutral
a person one has recently met and does not yet know well
She introduced me to a new acquaintance from her yoga class.
This describes someone she just started knowing.
I exchanged business cards with a new acquaintance at the networking event.
This refers to someone met professionally for the first time.
Used for people you have met but are not yet familiar with. Not used for strangers or close friends.
Collocations
make a new acquaintanceto meet someone for the first timeform a new acquaintanceto begin a relationship with someone newa casual new acquaintancea person met informally
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Context matters
Use 'new acquaintance' when referring to someone you have met but do not know well yet. It is not used for strangers or close friends.
Gold Rule
Avoid redundancy
Do not use 'new' with 'acquaintance' if the context already implies recent meeting (e.g., 'I met a new acquaintance' is correct, but 'I met an acquaintance' is sufficient if the recency is clear).
Word Origin
The phrase combines 'new' (from Old English 'nīwe') and 'acquaintance' (from Old French 'acointance', meaning 'familiarity'). The word 'acquaintance' itself derives from Latin 'acquaintare' (to make known).
Usage Notes
Used in both social and professional contexts. Avoid using for strangers or people you have known for a long time.
Word Breakdown
new
recently or not previously known
adjectiveacquaintance
a person one knows slightly
nounEnglish Dictionary