familiar

[ fuh-mil-yer ]

/ fəˈmɪl yər /

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See synonyms for: familiar / familiars / familiarly on Thesaurus.com

adjective

commonly or generally known or seen: a familiar sight.

well-acquainted; thoroughly conversant: to be familiar with a subject.

informal; easygoing; unceremonious; unconstrained: to write in a familiar style.

closely intimate or personal: a familiar friend; to be on familiar terms.

unduly intimate; too personal; taking liberties; presuming: The duchess disliked familiar servants.

domesticated; tame.

of or relating to a family or household.

noun

a familiar friend or associate.

Also called 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.

Roman Catholic Church.

an officer of the Inquisition, employed to arrest accused or suspected persons.
a person who belongs to the household of the pope or of a bishop, rendering domestic though not menial service.

OTHER WORDS FOR familiar

5 forward, bold.

See synonyms for familiar on Thesaurus.com

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of familiar

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Latin familiāris “of a household,” see family, -ar¹

synonym study for familiar

4. 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 WORDS FROM familiar

fa·mil·iar·ly, adverbfa·mil·iar·ness, nounnon·fa·mil·iar, adjectivenon·fa·mil·iar·ly, adverb

o·ver·fa·mil·iar, adjectiveo·ver·fa·mil·iar·ly, adverbpre·fa·mil·iar, adjectivepre·fa·mil·iar·ly, adverbqua·si-fa·mil·iar, adjectivequa·si-fa·mil·iar·ly, adverbul·tra·fa·mil·iar, adjective

Words nearby familiar

fame, famed, Fameuse, familial, familial hypercholesterolemia, familiar, familiarity, Familiarity breeds contempt, familiarize, families, familism

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use familiar in a sentence

One of the people familiar with Pence’s prep work said several debate-related meetings were slated to be held Thursday.
Former Wisconsin governor Scott Walker is working with Pence on debate preparations, people familiar with sessions say|Robert Costa|September 17, 2020|Washington Post
Obviously, McDonald’s wants to be accommodating of customers, especially during a pandemic, and plenty of McDonald’s workers were probably already familiar with Travis Scott.
McDonald’s Teaches Employees Travis Scott Catchphrases Because of TikTok Trend|Jaya Saxena|September 17, 2020|Eater
Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA, Commerzbank AG, HSBC Holdings Plc, ING Groep NV and Societe Generale SA are working on the deal, according to the person familiar.
Volkswagen is the latest carmaker to tap the red-hot green-bond market to fund its EV ambitions|Bernhard Warner|September 16, 2020|Fortune
Two congressional aides and a separate official familiar with the meeting confirmed Biden’s appearance with Democratic senators, which was first reported by Politico.
Trump, in town hall, says he wouldn’t have done anything differently on pandemic|Colby Itkowitz, Josh Dawsey, Felicia Sonmez, John Wagner|September 16, 2020|Washington Post

Cloud-data software maker Snowflake priced its initial public offering at $120 a share, above the marketed range, according to a person familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified.
Snowflake’s buzzy IPO just got a little more buzzy|Verne Kopytoff|September 15, 2020|Fortune
Lalo said he reported the kidnapping to his ICE handlers, which was confirmed by a former federal agent familiar with the case.
An Informant, a Missing American, and Juarez’s House of Death: Inside the 12-Year Cold Case of David Castro|Bill Conroy|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
It was one of the few things that felt familiar to him after being away from the outside world since 1975.
His First Day Out Of Jail After 40 Years: Adjusting To Life Outside|Justin Rohrlich|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
When ‘Downton Abbey’ returns Sunday night, its fashion fans are in for a familiar treat.
What Downton’s Fashion Really Means|Katie Baker|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
In the midst of the clubbiness, there is a heimishe (Yiddish for familiar, old school) quality.
The Craziest Date Night for Single Jews, Where Mistletoe Is Ditched for Shots|Emily Shire|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
More than bawdy, though, The Ball adds a familiar unpretentiousness to trendy locales like Tao, Lavo, The Park, and Dream Hotel.
The Craziest Date Night for Single Jews, Where Mistletoe Is Ditched for Shots|Emily Shire|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Several pioneers familiar with the facts of the tragedy at the time of its occurrence were also present.
Among the Sioux|R. J. Creswell
He was tall and of familiar figure, and the firelight was playing in the tossed curls of his short, fair hair.
The Bondboy|George W. (George Washington) Ogden
He glanced aside, and saw an exceedingly pretty, dark face, which looked vaguely familiar.
Rosemary in Search of a Father|C. N. Williamson
Could this be the safe old house in which childish days had passed, in which all around were always friendly and familiar faces?
Checkmate|Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
A small boy of three years and nine months on receiving from his nurse the familiar order, "Come here!"
Children's Ways|James Sully

British Dictionary definitions for familiar

familiar

/ (fəˈmɪlɪə) /

adjective

well-known; easily recognizeda familiar figure

frequent or customarya familiar excuse

(postpositive foll by with) acquainted

friendly; informal

close; intimate

more intimate than is acceptable; presumptuous

an archaic word for familial

noun

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

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

an officer of the Inquisition who arrested accused persons

a friend or frequent companion

Derived forms of familiar

familiarly, adverbfamiliarness, noun

Word Origin for familiar

C14: from Latin familiāris domestic, from familia family

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with familiar

familiar

see have a familiar ring.

familiar

OTHER WORDS FOR familiar

Origin of familiar

synonym study for familiar

OTHER WORDS FROM familiar

Words nearby familiar

Words related to familiar

How to use familiar in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for familiar

Derived forms of familiar

Word Origin for familiar

Other Idioms and Phrases with familiar