familiar

American  

[fuh-mil-yer] / fəˈmɪl yər /

adjective

1. commonly or generally known or seen.

   a familiar sight.

2. well-acquainted; thoroughly conversant.

   to be familiar with a subject.

3. informal; easygoing; unceremonious; unconstrained.

   to write in a familiar style.

4. closely intimate or personal.

   a familiar friend; to be on familiar terms.

5. unduly intimate; too personal; taking liberties; presuming.

   The duchess disliked familiar servants.

   Synonyms:

   bold, forward

6. domesticated; tame.

7. of or relating to a family or household.

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noun

1. a familiar friend or associate.

2.  familiar spirit.  Witchcraft and Demonology. a supernatural spirit or demon, often in the form of an animal, supposed to serve and aid a witch or other individual.

3. Roman Catholic Church.

   1. an officer of the Inquisition, employed to arrest accused or suspected persons.

   2. a person who belongs to the household of the pope or of a bishop, rendering domestic though not menial service.

familiar British  

/ fəˈmɪlɪə /

adjective

1. well-known; easily recognized

   a familiar figure

2. frequent or customary

   a familiar excuse

3. acquainted

4. friendly; informal

5. close; intimate

6. more intimate than is acceptable; presumptuous

7. an archaic word for familial

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noun

1. Also called: familiar spirit.  a supernatural spirit often assuming animal form, supposed to attend and aid a witch, wizard, etc

2. a person, attached to the household of the pope or a bishop, who renders service in return for support

3. an officer of the Inquisition who arrested accused persons

4. a friend or frequent companion

familiar Idioms  

1. see have a familiar ring.

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Related Words

Familiar, confidential, intimate suggest a long association between persons. Familiar means well-acquainted with another person: a familiar friend. Confidential suggests a sense of mutual trust that extends to the sharing of confidences and secrets: a confidential adviser. Intimate suggests close acquaintance or connection, often based on interest, sympathy, or affection: intimate and affectionate letters.

Other Word Forms

• familiarly adverb
• familiarness noun
• nonfamiliar adjective
• nonfamiliarly adverb
• overfamiliar adjective
• overfamiliarly adverb
• prefamiliar adjective
• prefamiliarly adverb
• quasi-familiar adjective
• quasi-familiarly adverb
• ultrafamiliar adjective

Etymology

Origin of familiar

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Latin familiāris “of a household,” family, -ar ¹

Example Sentences

Several venues will be familiar to fans who experienced the last Rugby World Cup in Australia in 2003, including Adelaide Oval and Brisbane Stadium where a combined 16 games will take place.

From Barron's

DHS and ICE officials didn’t publicize or broadly distribute the legal decision, predicting that it would invite legal scrutiny, the people familiar with the matter said.

From The Wall Street Journal

One, managed by Blue Owl OWL 2.67%increase; green up pointing triangle , got redemptions for about 15% of its shares, primarily from Asian clients, a person familiar with the matter said.

From The Wall Street Journal

U.S. intelligence assessments have painted a grim picture of the island’s economy, plagued by chronic shortages of basic goods, medicines and frequent blackouts, according to people familiar with the analysis.

From The Wall Street Journal

In his years-long pursuit to build a great defense at USC, Lincoln Riley first entrusted the job to a familiar face from his Oklahoma days.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• intimate
• mundane
• recognizable
• simple
• usual