Acquaintanceship

a person known to one, but usually not a close friend.
the state of being or casually familiar with someone or something:
as far as i know, no one of my acquaintance has traveled around the world.
personal knowledge as a result of study, experience, etc.:
a good acquaintance with french wines.
(used with a plural verb) the persons with whom one is acquainted.
contemporary examples

police say they believe the younger suspect used the acquaintanceship to draw her into the house, where she was strangled.
was autumn pasquale killed over a bicycle? teen brothers charged michael daly october 23, 2012

historical examples

but we are left largely to conjecture in what manner their acquaintanceship acted upon his mind.
henrik ibsen edmund gosse

in fact, one thing is clear to me, she must discontinue your acquaintanceship at once.
the pigeon (third series plays) john galsworthy

do you remember any discussion with him, anything sorrels said about his acquaintanceship in the jewish community?
warren commission (12 of 26): hearings vol. xii (of 15) the president’s commission on the -ss-ssination of president kennedy

for the first time in our acquaintanceship, i succeeded in interesting him in the indian.
a daughter of the middle border hamlin garland

she had torn that page out of their chronicles of acquaintanceship, and -ssumed that it had never been included.
destiny charles neville buck

he had resumed his acquaintanceship with montlouis, and had often been with him to the caf castille.
the champdoce mystery emile gaboriau

but this was the full length his acquaintanceship went; so he gradually felt himself practically alone.
the man bram stoker

now they were forced to extend their borders of acquaintanceship.
ruth fielding at college alice b. emerson

to learn that he is on terms of acquaintanceship with your patron, de naarboveck, is child’s play!
a nest of spies pierre souvestre

noun
a person with whom one has been in contact but who is not a close friend
knowledge of a person or thing, esp when slight
make the acquaintance of, to come into social contact with
those persons collectively whom one knows
(philosophy) the relation between a knower and the object of his knowledge, as contrasted with knowledge by description (esp in the phrase knowledge by acquaintance)
n.

c.1300, “state of being acquainted;” late 14c., “person with whom one is acquainted;” also “personal knowledge;” from old french acointance “acquaintance, friendship, familiarity,” noun of action from acointer (see acquaint). acquaintant (17c.), would have been better in the “person known” sense but is now obsolete.
see:

nodding acquaintance
scr-pe up an acquaintance