Acquaints

Acquaints is the third-person singular present tense form of the verb acquaint. The core meaning is to cause someone to become familiar with something, or to introduce someone to information, a place, a person, or a procedure. The phrase to acquaint with is common, as in "He will acquaint you with the safety rules," and to acquaint oneself with means to become familiar by study or experience.

Usage and nuance: Acquaint is typically transitive; the object is what is being taught or revealed to the other party. It implies imparting knowledge or awareness rather than merely making a social introduction. It is related to inform, familiarize, and introduce, but emphasizes knowledge or awareness. The adjective form acquainted denotes having knowledge or experience, or being familiar: "They are acquainted with the city" or "She is well acquainted with how the system works." The gerund acquainting and the past participle acquainted appear in various tenses: "She has acquainted him with the plan," or "They are acquainting themselves with the new process." The phrase get acquainted is common in social or informal contexts to describe becoming familiar with someone or something.

Etymology and usage context: The verb originates in Middle English from older French sources, and has retained a formal tone in many contexts. In contemporary usage, acquaint appears most often in written or formal speech, while get acquainted remains the typical expression for social introductions. Be aware that acquaint emphasizes knowledge or awareness, whereas introduce focuses more on the act of presenting someone to another.