a mere acquaintance

USAGE SUMMARY

"a mere acquaintance" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It can be used to describe a casual relationship or friendship with someone you don't know well. For example, "I met them through a mutual friend, but we are only a mere acquaintance."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

10 human-written examples

But Mimi was willing to risk an encounter with a gun to protect the body of a mere acquaintance.

The New York Times - Magazine

"We expect that firing a close family member" amounts to unlawful retaliation, Justice Scalia wrote, while "inflicting a milder reprisal on a mere acquaintance will almost never do so, but beyond that we are reluctant to generalize".

The New York Times

Mr. Haouari's lawyer, Daniel J. Ollen, questioned Mr. Ressam vigorously about friends in Montreal and their roles in the Islamic terrorist movement, asking him why he would turn to a mere acquaintance and a total stranger to help him when he had allies with experience.

The New York Times

But this common way to put the point may lead to a confusion of (a) mere acquaintance with kinds of color experiences by having and remembering them and (b) knowledge about what kind of color experience other subjects have at a given occasion, and it may thereby lead to a failure to distinguish two steps of epistemic progress that Jackson's Mary takes at once.

SEP

That would be strange, since trust can be unwanted if the trust is immoral (e.g., being trusted to hide a murder) or if it misinterprets the nature of one's relationship with the trusted person (e.g., being trusted to be friends with a mere acquaintance).

SEP

Compared with viewing a headshot of a mere acquaintance, this exercise can relieve moderate pain by about 40percentt, found neuroscientists at Stanford University.

HuffPost

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

50 human-written examples

To call everyone you know a "friend" is as odd as calling them all "contacts", but here the emphasis is reversed: rather than clinically treating everyone as a potential business partner, the hegemony of "friends" implies a wheedling sentimentalisation of mere acquaintance.

The Guardian - Opinion

Mere acquaintance makes a big difference.

Huffington Post

"Koreans must think seriously about their ability to defend themselves when the U.S. they have long regarded as a friend and protector becomes a mere business acquaintance," the conservative newspaper Chosun Ilbo editorialized on November 10th.

Huffington Post

From Mere Acquaintance to Periodic Dinner Companion (In Groups of Four or More People) to Frequent Midweek Business-Lunch Cohort, Tim has consistently shown himself to be just the kind of person we're looking for in a Best Friend.

The New Yorker

Of the remaining three chimps, two were just as likely to share with their favorite friend as with their mere acquaintance.

Los Angeles Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "a mere acquaintance" to accurately convey that a relationship is not close or significant. This helps set appropriate expectations about the level of interaction or assistance one might expect.

Common error

Avoid referring to someone as a close friend when they are "a mere acquaintance". Misrepresenting the relationship can lead to misunderstandings and misplaced expectations.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a mere acquaintance" functions as a noun phrase, typically serving as the object of a preposition or verb. As Ludwig AI suggests, it describes someone known but not well.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

30%

Wiki

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "a mere acquaintance" is a common and grammatically correct way to describe someone you know, but not closely. As Ludwig AI confirms, it effectively conveys a relationship of limited significance, suitable for news, scientific and general contexts. When writing, use "a mere acquaintance" to set appropriate expectations and avoid overstating the closeness of a relationship. Alternatives like "a casual acquaintance" or "a slight acquaintance" can provide similar nuance.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a casual acquaintance

Replaces "mere" with "casual", emphasizing the lack of deep connection.

a slight acquaintance

Uses "slight" instead of "mere", indicating a minimal level of knowing someone.

a passing acquaintance

Indicates the acquaintance is brief and not likely to be long-lasting.

someone I barely know

Shifts the focus to the speaker's perspective of limited knowledge.

a superficial acquaintance

Highlights that the relationship is only on the surface with no deeper connection.

a nodding acquaintance

Suggests a relationship where you only acknowledge each other with a nod.

someone I've only met briefly

Emphasizes the short duration of the interaction.

a distant acquaintance

Indicates a lack of closeness or regular contact.

a former acquaintance

Specifies that the acquaintance is no longer current.

a business contact

Implies the acquaintance is primarily within a professional setting.

FAQs

How can I use "a mere acquaintance" in a sentence?

You can use "a mere acquaintance" to describe someone you know, but not very well. For example, "I wouldn't ask him for a favor; he's just "a mere acquaintance"".

What is a more formal way to say "a mere acquaintance"?

A more formal alternative to "a mere acquaintance" could be "a casual acquaintance" or "a superficial acquaintance". These options maintain a professional tone.

Which is correct, "a mere acquaintance" or "just an acquaintance"?

Both "a mere acquaintance" and "just an acquaintance" are correct. The phrase "a mere acquaintance" emphasizes the lack of closeness, while "just an acquaintance" simply states the relationship is not significant.

What's the difference between "a mere acquaintance" and "a close friend"?

"A mere acquaintance" implies a superficial or distant relationship, whereas "a close friend" suggests a deep, supportive connection with frequent interaction and shared experiences.