What's the difference between a friend and an acquaintance?

[eLdavis]

I have come across people who tag a certain group as their friends while they tag some as their acquaintance. From your point of view, what would you consider as the difference between both?
Personally i think a friend is one you have a closer bond with, you can easily communicate with them whenever you have an issue, while an acquaintance on the other hand is one you come in contact with specifically for a formal purpose.

 

[magnus2022]

A friend is someone who knows and try to help you in solving life challenges. An acquaintance is someone who you are familiar with and normal exchange greetings. A friend is also your acquaintance but on deeper level. In the other way round, an acquaintance is a friend in a shallow level.

 

[Augusta]

A friend to me is one that you have known for a long time and is always there for you. An acquaintance is someone you occasionally relate with on a very cordial grounds but is not your friend.

 

[klassicdoll]

A person who is familiar to you but is not a close friend is an acquaintance. It's the individual you normally don't meet alone but instead bump into in the corridor or feel at ease talking to in a group. A friend is someone you have a close relationship with; you can vent to them about your difficulties, share funny moments, or even go travel with them.

 

[deucher]

I think a friend is someone you can rely on and he won't let you down, but an acquaintance won't do so much for you