familiar
familiar
Pronunciation
The IPA phonetic spelling for "familiar" is /fəˈmɪl.jər/.
fa: /fə/
mil: /ˈmɪl/
iar: /jər/
Word Form Variations
Adjective: familiar
Noun: familiarity (singular), familiar (singular, referring to a close friend or spirit), familiars (plural, referring to close friends or spirits)
Verb: familiarize (base form), familiarizes (third person singular present), familiarized (past tense, past participle), familiarizing (present participle)
Adverb: familiarly
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Adjective
Familiar
Well-known from long or repeated association; often encountered or heard.
Synonyms: accustomed, common, habitual, commonplace, recognizable, well-known
Antonyms: unfamiliar, unknown, new, strange, novel, alien
Having a good knowledge of something; conversant with.
Synonyms: acquainted, knowledgeable, versed, conversant, proficient
Antonyms: ignorant, unaware, unacquainted, naive
(Of a person) informal and friendly, sometimes to an inappropriate degree; intimate.
Synonyms: intimate, close, friendly, informal, casual
Antonyms: formal, distant, reserved, aloof
Noun
Familiarity
The state of being well-known or accustomed.
Synonyms: acquaintance, recognition, awareness, knowledge
Antonyms: unfamiliarity, ignorance, strangeness, novelty
Close acquaintance with or knowledge of something.
Synonyms: expertise, proficiency, grasp, understanding
Antonyms: inexperience, ignorance, unfamiliarity
Informal, often excessive, intimacy or closeness.
Synonyms: informality, intimacy, closeness, overfamiliarity
Antonyms: formality, distance, reserve
Familiar (as a noun, less common in modern everyday use)
A close friend or associate.
Synonyms: confidant, intimate, crony, companion
Antonyms: stranger, acquaintance, rival
(In folklore/witchcraft) A spirit, often in animal form, believed to serve a witch.
Synonyms: spirit guide, daemon, imp
Antonyms: (no direct antonyms for this specific mystical sense)
Verb
Familiarize
To make (someone) familiar with something; to get to know something well.
Synonyms: acquaint, accustom, habituate, orient, introduce
Antonyms: alienate, detach, estrange, remove
Adverb
Familiarly
In a way that is well-known or easily recognized.
Synonyms: commonly, typically, ordinarily, habitually
Antonyms: unusually, rarely, uncommonly
In an informal or intimate manner.
Synonyms: informally, intimately, casually, closely
Antonyms: formally, distantly, reservedly
Examples of Use
Books
Non-fiction: Authors often refer to "familiar concepts" or "familiar arguments." A psychology textbook might discuss "the role of familiar faces in building trust" (W. W. Norton & Company, March 2024). Cookbooks might feature "familiar comfort foods."
Fiction: Characters might revisit "familiar places," encounter "familiar smells," or feel a sense of "familiar unease." "The old house had a familiar creak in the floorboards."
Newspapers
News Articles: Journalists use "familiar" to describe something recognizable or common. A report on a public event might note, "The mayor delivered his speech with his familiar enthusiasm" (The Capital Gazette, July 2025). An economic analysis might refer to "familiar market trends."
Reviews: A movie review might describe a plot as having a "familiar storyline" but with a fresh twist.
Opinion Pieces: Columnists might argue against or for policies that bring back "familiar problems."
Online Publications
Social Media: Users often share content related to "familiar memes," "familiar childhood memories," or a "familiar struggle" that many can relate to. "That feeling is so familiar!"
Tech Blogs: Reviews might compare new devices to "familiar older models" or describe user interfaces as "familiar and intuitive."
Educational Websites: Tutorials often start by building on "familiar principles" before introducing new ones. "We'll begin with familiar algebra concepts."
Lifestyle Blogs: These might feature tips on incorporating "familiar household items" into new uses or discussing "familiar routines for better sleep."
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms
Movies/TV Shows: A character might return to a "familiar hometown," or a scene might feature a "familiar song." Dialogue could include, "That voice sounds familiar."
Music: Song lyrics often evoke feelings of nostalgia through references to "familiar places," "familiar melodies," or "familiar faces." 🎶
Video Games: Games might feature a "familiar enemy type" with new abilities, or players might return to a "familiar hub area" after a mission.
Podcasts: Hosts might discuss "familiar tropes" in storytelling or recap events from a "familiar historical period."
Comedy: Comedians often use "familiar situations" as the basis for their jokes, relying on shared experiences for audience recognition.
General Public Discourse
Conversations: In daily speech, people frequently say, "That sounds familiar," or "It's nice to see a familiar face." "Are you familiar with this software?"
Workplace: Colleagues might discuss a "familiar client" or a project that involves "familiar procedures." "Make sure you're familiar with the new guidelines."
Education: Students are encouraged to become "familiar with the course material." A professor might say, "This concept should be familiar from your previous studies."
Customer Service: A representative might ask, "Are you familiar with our return policy?"
10 Quotes Using Familiar
"The unexamined life is not worth living. The only truly good is knowledge, and the only truly bad is ignorance. A wise man is he who knows that he knows nothing. And a truly wise man will always seek the unknown, for the known is already familiar." (Socrates)
"What is now proved was once only imagined. What is now commonplace was once a marvel. What is now familiar was once strange." (William Blake)
"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance. It is a familiar adversary." (Franklin D. Roosevelt)
"We are all prisoners of our own assumptions. Sometimes it takes a long time to learn how to see what is familiar as strange." (Iris Murdoch)
"A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it. What is truly important is often found in the familiar." (George Moore)
"Home is where the heart is. It is the place where we feel most safe, most loved, and most familiar." (Pliny the Elder)
"I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious. To remain curious is to remain alive, to make the unknown familiar." (Albert Einstein)
"Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future. The future is always new, and the past is always familiar." (John F. Kennedy)
"The artist is a collector. He takes what is familiar and makes it new." (Unknown)
"Ignorance is bliss. But knowledge is power. It allows us to turn the mysterious into the familiar." (Francis Bacon)
Etymology
The word "familiar" comes from the Latin word "faciēs," which originally meant "form," "shape," or "appearance." Over time, it specifically came to refer to the visible front part of the head.
The first known use of "familiar" in English, with the meaning of "well-known or intimate," dates back to the late 14th century. It appeared in texts referring to something or someone known through close acquaintance, evolving from the idea of recognizing a "face" or form.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Familiar
Familiar face: A person one knows and recognizes. "It was good to see some familiar faces at the reunion."
Familiar territory: A place, subject, or situation that one knows well. "The discussion quickly moved into familiar territory for the seasoned experts."
Familiar ground: Similar to "familiar territory," a known or well-understood area. "Let's stick to familiar ground for now."
Familiar with: Having knowledge or experience of something. "Are you familiar with the new software update?"
Familiar ring: Something that sounds known or recognizable, often a phrase or story. "That excuse has a familiar ring to it."
Too familiar: Acting with inappropriate intimacy or casualness. "His comments were a bit too familiar for a first meeting."
Familiar object: An item often seen or used, providing comfort or recognition. "The old teddy bear was a familiar object from her childhood."
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of familiar from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
