familiarity
Americannoun
plural
familiarities-
thorough knowledge or mastery of a thing, subject, etc.
-
the state of being familiar; friendly relationship; close acquaintance; intimacy.
-
an absence of ceremony and formality; informality.
- Synonyms:
- unconstraint
-
freedom of behavior justified only by the closest relationship; undue intimacy.
-
Often familiarities. an instance of such freedom, as in action or speech.
-
a sexual liberty or impropriety.
noun
-
reasonable knowledge or acquaintance, as with a subject or place
-
close acquaintanceship or intimacy
-
undue intimacy
-
(sometimes plural) an instance of unwarranted intimacy
Other Word Forms
- overfamiliarity noun
- prefamiliarity noun
Etymology
Origin of familiarity
1350–1400; Middle English familiarite (< Anglo-French ) < Latin familiāritās intimacy. See familiar, -ity
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.
The promo seemed like an odd choice given how the network evening news anchor has traditionally been a position requiring gravitas and comforting familiarity for its habit-driven audience.
From Los Angeles Times
I freely admit that in judging “Best Medicine,” my familiarity with “Doc Martin” puts me at a disadvantage — or an advantage, I suppose, depending on how you look at it.
From Los Angeles Times
Tolkien used his scholarly familiarity with ancient storytelling modes to create a world so vast it spills off of the page.
That familiarity at the box office counts when moviegoers, particularly families, are looking for movies to watch.
From Los Angeles Times
For New Yorkers, it was a relationship built on routine frustration and deep familiarity.
From Salon
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.
