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,” see family, -ar ¹

Explanation

When something is so commonplace you know it well, it's familiar. A familiar song might be one that you hum along to without even thinking about it. Like family, anything or anyone you're familiar with has been in your life for a while. It can be used in many ways. After six years of Spanish, you'll be familiar with how to conjugate verbs. You and your close friends are on familiar terms. The smell of musty tent fabric is familiar to anyone who grew up going camping a lot, and may bring on a wave of nostalgia.

Example Sentences

They were more successful at identifying familiar objects, recognizing new ones, and detecting changes in their surroundings compared to untreated controls.

From Science Daily • May 26, 2026

He was at the private screening of “Melania” at the invitation of one of the movie’s producers, Fernando Sulichin, an Argentine who has longstanding ties to Venezuelan officials, people familiar with the matter said.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026

It’s considering formal bids from 12 states, some familiar contenders like Iowa and New Hampshire, and others newcomers.

From Slate • May 26, 2026

"Its stubby little arms with only one row of suckers set it apart from most octopus we are familiar with," Voight said.

From Barron's • May 25, 2026

It’s all familiar, but in the way a photograph is familiar.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller

Related Words

• intimate
• mundane
• recognizable
• simple
• usual