familiar
Americanadjective
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commonly or generally known or seen.
a familiar sight.
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well-acquainted; thoroughly conversant.
to be familiar with a subject.
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informal; easygoing; unceremonious; unconstrained.
to write in a familiar style.
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closely intimate or personal.
a familiar friend; to be on familiar terms.
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unduly intimate; too personal; taking liberties; presuming.
The duchess disliked familiar servants.
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domesticated; tame.
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of or relating to a family or household.
noun
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a familiar friend or associate.
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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.
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Roman Catholic Church.
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an officer of the Inquisition, employed to arrest accused or suspected persons.
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a person who belongs to the household of the pope or of a bishop, rendering domestic though not menial service.
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adjective
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well-known; easily recognized
a familiar figure
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frequent or customary
a familiar excuse
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acquainted
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friendly; informal
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close; intimate
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more intimate than is acceptable; presumptuous
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an archaic word for familial
noun
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Also called: familiar spirit. a supernatural spirit often assuming animal form, supposed to attend and aid a witch, wizard, etc
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a person, attached to the household of the pope or a bishop, who renders service in return for support
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an officer of the Inquisition who arrested accused persons
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a friend or frequent companion
Synonym Usage
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
Derived Forms
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.
Vocabulary lists containing familiar
List 10
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Workshop 4, Part 1
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Vocabulary from poems about communication
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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.
Current and former government officials familiar with the companies’ environmental record called them routine bad actors.
From Salon • Jun. 10, 2026
A Merrill Lynch office in Houston held an information meeting about the SpaceX IPO for clients last week, people familiar with the matter said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026
“I am too familiar with the feeling of working and taking on low-wage work while feeling invisible because my voice is disregarded just because of our broken immigration system,” McManus said.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026
You should do your own research to become familiar with any fund’s strategy before you invest.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 9, 2026
One girl who looks familiar is hanging on the arm of one of the guys while she laughs at something that must have been hysterical, while another poses next to them, taking a selfie.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
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.
