familiarize
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb
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to make (oneself or someone else) familiar, as with a particular subject
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to make (something) generally known or accepted
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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refamiliarizationnoun
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unfamiliarizedadjective
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refamiliarizeverb (used with object)
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familiarizationnoun
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familiarizernoun
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have familiarizedperfect
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has familiarizedperfect 3rd person singular
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has been familiarizingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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are familiarizingprogressive
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is familiarizingprogressive 3rd person singular
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am familiarizingprogressive 1st person singular
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have been familiarizingperfect progressive
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familiarizingparticiple
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familiarizessingular 3rd person
Past
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had familiarizedperfect
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were familiarizingprogressive plural
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familiarizedparticiple
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was familiarizingprogressive singular
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had been familiarizingperfect progressive
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familiarizedsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of familiarize
Explanation
To familiarize yourself with something is to learn about it or become comfortable with it. Once you familiarize yourself with the unusual spices, you'll probably find Indian food delicious. You can familiarize yourself with the alphabet and particular sounds of a language before you start learning to speak it, and you can also familiarize a young child with the rules before her first trip to an art museum. Originally, familiarize meant "to make well-known," from familiar, from the Latin familiaris, "familiar or intimate," and the verb-forming suffix -ize.
Vocabulary lists containing familiarize
Save Me a Seat
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Week 2 Spelling
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Liar & Spy
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
And there’s another great feeling that I’d like you to familiarize yourself with: the power of compounding within your Roth IRA.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 5, 2026
You should also familiarize yourself with inheritance laws.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 28, 2026
It’s important to taste the soy sauce first and familiarize yourself with its flavor and salt content before using it when baking, Lieu advises.
From Salon • Dec. 13, 2025
Greene’s goals are to familiarize herself with markets so she will be comfortable with investing once she graduates from college and starts working full time.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 30, 2025
The only thing all the intended disorientation had accomplished was to familiarize her with the building.
From "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
