prior acquaintance

USAGE SUMMARY

"prior acquaintance" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use this phrase when talking about someone that you have already met or know a little bit about. For example: "I had a pleasant conversation with my prior acquaintance from college."

✓ Grammatically correct

Academia

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

21 human-written examples

No prior acquaintance with On Global Justice is presupposed here.

Harvard University

Nonetheless, enjoying this production to its fullest requires prior acquaintance with the play.

The Guardian

Traditionally, an officer who identified someone in court had to demonstrate prior acquaintance with the individual.

The New Yorker

Holland came to his work on Islam unencumbered by any prior acquaintance with its fundamental texts or the scholarly literature.

The Guardian - Books

In none of his writings does he mention having any prior acquaintance with Spain or ever reading a book in Spanish about the war or anything else.

The Guardian - Books

Prior acquaintance with the pair isn't essential as Rowling reintroduces the "surly-looking ex-soldier" with "pube-like" hair, a "boxer's nose" and large appetite.

Independent

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

39 human-written examples

Prior knowledge and acquaintance with the NP, for example working in the setting as an RN or spending time in the setting as a student NP prior to being hired, allowed acceptance to develop more quickly as a participant described: "[NP] had been working here as a nurse and has been on the team.

BMC Nursing

Prior brought some local acquaintance to his scripts - he furnished five of the first 10 - but, more importantly, he was already a novelist and experienced television writer, with a gift for spotting the dramatic possibilities of any little flurry on the surface of society.

The Guardian

Nevertheless, they still have considerable pre-reflective currency, and for all its oddness, Augustine's suggestion that learning is a matter of being reminded of prior acts of direct acquaintance rests upon a set of common sense assumptions.

SEP

Cocchiarella's interest in the philosophy of time had initially been aroused by Reichenbach's work on space and time but it was his acquaintance with Prior's Time and Modality that swept him into tense-logical research.

SEP

The intuitive knowledge that guides the midwife in her management is described as being facilitated by acquaintance from prior to the birth and also by the environment [ 20].

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "prior acquaintance" when you want to emphasize that a relationship or familiarity existed before a specific event or situation. This can be useful in legal, academic, or formal contexts.

Common error

Avoid using "prior acquaintance" when simply indicating that you met someone recently. "New acquaintance" or "recent acquaintance" is more appropriate in those cases, as "prior" implies a more established history.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "prior acquaintance" functions as a noun phrase, often serving as the subject or object of a sentence. It indicates a relationship or familiarity that existed before the current context. Ludwig confirms that this phrase is grammatically correct and usable.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

40%

News & Media

40%

Academia

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "prior acquaintance" is a grammatically sound phrase used to denote a pre-existing relationship or familiarity. According to Ludwig, the phrase is correct and usable. Its usage is most common in academic, news, and scientific contexts, indicating a formal to neutral register. Alternatives such as "previous association" or "earlier familiarity" can be used depending on the specific context. It's important to avoid using "prior acquaintance" when simply referring to someone you've just met; "new acquaintance" is more appropriate in such cases.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

past acquaintance

A direct synonym, simply using "past" instead of "prior".

former acquaintance

Uses "former" to indicate the acquaintance existed at an earlier time.

prior familiarity

A more formal synonym, substituting "familiarity" for "acquaintance".

earlier familiarity

Emphasizes the state of being known or acquainted from an earlier time.

previous association

Focuses on the connection or relationship that existed before.

pre-existing relationship

Highlights the relationship that was already in place.

established connection

Focuses on the connection that has been previously established.

initial acquaintance

Emphasizes the beginning of the acquaintance.

longstanding acquaintance

Highlights the duration of the acquaintance.

previous knowledge

Shifts the focus to the knowledge one has about someone or something.

FAQs

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

You can use "prior acquaintance" to indicate a pre-existing familiarity, such as, "Because of my "prior acquaintance" with the author, I understood the nuances of her writing better."

What's a good alternative to "prior acquaintance"?

Depending on the context, you could use alternatives like "previous association", "earlier familiarity", or "pre-existing relationship".

Is it redundant to say "prior acquaintance"? Isn't all acquaintance prior?

While "acquaintance" implies some prior interaction, using "prior acquaintance" emphasizes that the relationship existed before a specific point in time, making it useful for clarity in certain contexts.

What is the difference between "prior acquaintance" and "casual acquaintance"?

"Prior acquaintance" refers to the fact that you have met someone before, while "casual acquaintance" describes the nature of the relationship, implying it is not close or intimate. They describe different aspects of the relationship.