familiarize

American  

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

especially British, familiarise

verb (used with object)

familiarizes, present (3rd person singular) familiarized, past participle, past familiarizing present participle

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)

familiarizes, present (3rd person singular) familiarized, past participle, past familiarizing present participle

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

Derived Forms

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

Conjugated Forms

Present

• has familiarized
  perfect 3rd person singular
• have familiarized
  perfect
• am familiarizing
  progressive 1st person singular
• have been familiarizing
  perfect progressive
• has been familiarizing
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• is familiarizing
  progressive 3rd person singular
• are familiarizing
  progressive
• familiarizes
  singular 3rd person
• familiarizing
  participle

Past

• had familiarized
  perfect
• was familiarizing
  progressive singular
• had been familiarizing
  perfect progressive
• were familiarizing
  progressive plural
• familiarized
  participle
• familiarized
  simple

Future

• will familiarize
  simple
• will have familiarized
  perfect
• will have been familiarizing
  perfect progressive
• will be familiarizing
  progressive

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.

Related Words

• enlighten
• naturalize