familiarize

American  

[fuh-mil-yuh-rahyz] / fəˈmɪl yəˌraɪz /

especially British, familiarise

verb (used with object)

familiarized, familiarizing

1. to make (onself or another person) well-acquainted or conversant with something.

   Synonyms:

   acquaint, accustom

2. to make (something) well-known; bring into common knowledge or use.

3. Archaic. to make familiar; establish (a person) in friendly intimacy.

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verb (used without object)

familiarized, familiarizing

1. Archaic. to associate in a familiar way.

familiarize British  

/ fəˈmɪljəˌraɪz /

verb

1. to make (oneself or someone else) familiar, as with a particular subject

2. to make (something) generally known or accepted

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Other Word Forms

• familiarization
  noun
• familiarizer
  noun
• refamiliarization
  noun
• refamiliarize
  verb (used with object)
• unfamiliarized
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of familiarize

First recorded in 1600–10; familiar + -ize

Explanation

To familiarize yourself with something is to learn about it or become comfortable with it. Once you familiarize yourself with the unusual spices, you'll probably find Indian food delicious. You can familiarize yourself with the alphabet and particular sounds of a language before you start learning to speak it, and you can also familiarize a young child with the rules before her first trip to an art museum. Originally, familiarize meant "to make well-known," from familiar, from the Latin familiaris, "familiar or intimate," and the verb-forming suffix -ize.

Example Sentences

Prior to getting “Backrooms” greenlighted, Parsons and the team at Oddfellows did a test shoot, which allowed an untested virtuoso the opportunity to familiarize himself with how a professional crew works.

From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2026

“We listened to Lambert, Hendricks & Ross albums to familiarize ourselves with Jon’s vocal style,” Mr. Weir said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 11, 2026

As your home is your major asset, think about reverse-mortgage counseling, if only to familiarize yourself with the issue.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 18, 2025

It’s important to taste the soy sauce first and familiarize yourself with its flavor and salt content before using it when baking, Lieu advises.

From Salon • Dec. 13, 2025

Burt and I spent four hours going through the lab section by section, as I tried to familiarize myself with the total picture.

From "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes

Related Words

• enlighten
• naturalize