Sam met Rachel in class. They sometimes see each other in the dining hall or around campus and say hello to each other, but they don't go out of their way to hang out together. Sam and Rachel's relationship can be described as that of _______.

An acquaintance is a person that someone knows, but not so well, that is, they know of the other person's existence and they can get to greet each other and have a brief conversation but it does not mean that they are friends. This type of relationship can occur in any environment, it is common for a person to have a neighbor who is not a friend, but occasionally they greet each other and talk for a few moments. Also at university or school, wherein a classroom some classmates talk for several minutes about anything, but they do not make friends or have a deeper relationship.

Seeing a person on the street that we haven't seen in a long time and seeing them start a conversation for a while makes them acquaintances. They do not have a friendship but they know each other and each time they see each other they greet each other.