length of acquaintance

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "length of acquaintance" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to refer to the duration of time that two people have known each other. Example: "Despite the length of acquaintance, I still feel like I am getting to know her better every day."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

Depth of friendship does not depend on length of acquaintance.

Huffington Post

The teacher characteristics in this study were education, experience with children in general, length of acquaintance with the target child, and perception of the teacher child relationship.

Child Psychiatry and Human Development

You both will be required to give name and address, relationship, and length of acquaintance.[9].

WikiHow

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

The doctor listened in amazement as his new acquaintance spoke at length of the chemistry experiment he'd just completed.

The New York Times - Magazine

Some acquaintance theorists seem to disagree about the nature of acquaintance.

SEP

The distinction lies with the objects of acquaintance.

SEP

What about the possibility of acquaintance with ourselves?

SEP

This arrangement was preferred to avoid possibilities of acquaintance between the interviewer and interviewee.

BMC Public Health

Lack of acquaintance with research methodology was reported as a hindrance by 50% doctors.

BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making

Blackman and Funder [ 5] explain the effect of acquaintance on accuracy in personality judgements as follows.

European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

This was followed by lack of acquaintance with research methodology for no publications (50%).

BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When discussing the impact of relationships, use "length of acquaintance" to specify how the duration affects the dynamic. For example: "The study showed that trust levels correlate with the length of acquaintance."

Common error

Avoid overstating the significance of "length of acquaintance" in contexts where deeper factors like shared experiences or mutual trust are more relevant. The phrase primarily denotes duration, not depth, of a relationship.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "length of acquaintance" functions as a noun phrase, typically used as a subject complement or within prepositional phrases to specify the duration of time two people have known each other. Ludwig indicates that this phrase is grammatically correct and usable.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

34%

News & Media

33%

Wiki

33%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Social Media

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "length of acquaintance" is a grammatically sound noun phrase used to indicate the duration two people have known each other. Though Ludwig identifies it as correct, its usage is relatively rare. It appears across various contexts, including scientific studies, news articles, and general discussions, making it suitable for neutral to formal communication. When writing, it's important to use this phrase to provide context about relationship duration without overstating its importance relative to other relational factors. Alternative phrases such as "duration of relationship" or "time known" can be used depending on the specific nuance desired.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

duration of knowing

Emphasizes the act of knowing and its length.

time known

Simple and direct way to indicate duration of knowing someone.

time of familiarity

Indicates a period during which people are familiar.

duration of relationship

Focuses on the span of the connection.

length of association

This alternative uses 'association' instead of 'acquaintance'.

period of association

Emphasizes the time people have been linked.

familiarity duration

Highlights how long two people have been familiar.

how long they've known each other

More verbose, highlights mutual knowledge.

period of getting acquainted

Focuses on the phase of becoming acquainted.

years acquainted

More succinct way to refer to a longer duration.

FAQs

How can I use "length of acquaintance" in a sentence?

You can use "length of acquaintance" to refer to the duration of time that two people have known each other. For example: "Despite the "length of acquaintance", I still feel like I am getting to know her better every day."

What are some alternatives to "length of acquaintance"?

Alternatives include phrases such as "duration of relationship", "time known", or "period of association", depending on the specific context.

Is it more appropriate to say "length of acquaintance" or "duration of acquaintance"?

Both "length of acquaintance" and "duration of acquaintance" are acceptable, but ""length of acquaintance"" is slightly more common in general usage.

How does "length of acquaintance" affect relationships?

The "length of acquaintance" can influence the level of trust, familiarity, and understanding between individuals, but it is not the only factor determining the quality of a relationship.