an acquaintance in common

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "an acquaintance in common" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when referring to a mutual person that two or more individuals know. Example: "I was surprised to learn that we have an acquaintance in common from college."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

We played the name game and came up with an acquaintance in common; again I envisioned the what-if.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

The term refers to the recurrent eerie phenomenon in which the unknown quantity in the adjacent airline seat turns out to have at least one acquaintance in common with you.

Forbes

They will stay, and those two 'well-poisoners' — the Nazis deserve!" The two women never saw each other again after 1930, when Dietrich left Germany, nor did they write or speak or maintain more than a few acquaintances in common.

The New Yorker

Arachana smiled at an acquaintance in the crowd.

Los Angeles Times

They were also afraid that they would run into an acquaintance in local CHSCs.

BMC Health Services Research

The donor is often a family member but can also be a friend or an acquaintance in the Netherlands [48].

BMC Nephrology

Walk dogs at a nearby animal shelter or visit an acquaintance in the hospital.

WikiHow

And there's even a magic number of acquaintances in common that makes you 90% more likely to want to get frisky….

TechCrunch

"But this didn't make sense to me since they had many friends and acquaintances in common.

The New York Times

The finding that short cuts make all the difference explains why total strangers can quickly determine that they have acquaintances in common and why epidemics spread so rapidly in the modern world.

The New York Times - Science

The researchers found that despite their stated intentions, most of the executives spent the majority of their time with attendees they already knew and met new people only if they had acquaintances in common.

Harvard Business Review

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "an acquaintance in common", ensure that both parties understand who is being referred to, to avoid confusion.

Common error

Avoid overstating the relationship. Using "an acquaintance in common" implies a casual connection, not necessarily a close friendship. Don't assume a deep bond exists based solely on this shared contact.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "an acquaintance in common" functions as a noun phrase. It typically serves to identify a shared contact between two or more individuals, as demonstrated in the Ludwig examples.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

20%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Wiki

5%

Encyclopedias

3%

Academia

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "an acquaintance in common" is a grammatically sound noun phrase used to describe a shared connection between individuals. According to Ludwig, its usage is relatively rare. While the phrase is generally acceptable, it's important to use it accurately to avoid overstating the relationship's depth. Better alternatives are "a mutual acquaintance" or "a shared connection", depending on the context. You can use "an acquaintance in common" in general conversations or informal writing; however, avoid assuming a deeper bond exists based solely on the shared acquaintance.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a mutual acquaintance

Directly indicates a person known by both parties.

an acquaintance we share

Rephrases to emphasize sharing the acquaintance.

someone we both know

Simple way of stating that a person is known by both individuals.

someone known to both of us

Emphasizes mutual knowledge of the person.

a shared connection

Emphasizes the link or bond that two or more people have.

a mutual contact

Indicates the mutual professional relationship between individuals.

a contact in common

Similar to common contact, but slightly more general.

a common contact

Highlights the professional or networking aspect of the shared acquaintance.

a connection through someone

Highlights that connection is established through someone else.

a link between us

Focuses on the connection aspect rather than the person themselves.

FAQs

What does "an acquaintance in common" mean?

The phrase "an acquaintance in common" refers to a person that two or more people both know, but not necessarily closely. It indicates a shared, but possibly superficial, connection.

What's a more formal way to say "an acquaintance in common"?

A more formal alternative to "an acquaintance in common" is "a mutual acquaintance" or "a shared contact", depending on the context.

How can I use "an acquaintance in common" in a sentence?

You can use "an acquaintance in common" by saying something like, "It turns out we have an acquaintance in common from our time working at the same company."

Are there any synonyms for "an acquaintance in common"?

Yes, some synonyms for "an acquaintance in common" include "a mutual connection", "someone we both know", or "a common contact".