familiarity
Americannoun
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thorough knowledge or mastery of a thing, subject, etc.
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the state of being familiar; friendly relationship; close acquaintance; intimacy.
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an absence of ceremony and formality; informality.
- Synonyms:
- unconstraint
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freedom of behavior justified only by the closest relationship; undue intimacy.
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Often familiarities. an instance of such freedom, as in action or speech.
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a sexual liberty or impropriety.
noun
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reasonable knowledge or acquaintance, as with a subject or place
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close acquaintanceship or intimacy
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undue intimacy
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(sometimes plural) an instance of unwarranted intimacy
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of familiarity
1350–1400; Middle English familiarite (< Anglo-French ) < Latin familiāritās intimacy. See familiar, -ity
Explanation
Familiarity is the state of knowing something very well. It's also a casual way of behaving. Your familiarity with your best friend means that you can say whatever you want around her. Familiarity is from the Latin word familiaritatem for "intimacy, friendship.” Familiarity is used in situations that people know well. A painter has a familiarity with brushes and canvas. When there’s familiarity with a task, people aren’t stressed, because they’ve done it before. This word also refers to a casual way of acting: if you hug someone, it shows familiarity. That kind of familiarity is the opposite of aloofness and formality.
Vocabulary lists containing familiarity
The Color of My Words
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Elijah of Buxton
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A Heart in a Body in the World
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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.
Popular athletes can also "help brands bridge cultural gaps, introduce products to new audiences and create a level of familiarity that would otherwise take years to build", said Adrian Staiti from agency CAA Sports.
From Barron's • Jul. 3, 2026
Bersey upgraded shares of Adobe to buy from hold on Thursday and raised his price target to $308 from $282, saying that Adobe’s platform is “sticky” due to user familiarity with its workflow.
From MarketWatch • Jul. 2, 2026
It's a city Scotland fans now know with great familiarity and fondness.
From BBC • Jun. 25, 2026
But if it’s a success, credit will be due to its familiarity and accessibility.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 14, 2026
This familiarity was excessive, even for her, and I caught a glimpse of his expression.
From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier
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.
