familiarize
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb
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to make (oneself or someone else) familiar, as with a particular subject
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to make (something) generally known or accepted
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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familiarizationnoun
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familiarizernoun
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refamiliarizationnoun
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refamiliarizeverb (used with object)
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unfamiliarizedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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familiarizesimple
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familiarizessimple
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have familiarizedperfect
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has familiarizedperfect
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am familiarizingprogressive
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are familiarizingprogressive
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is familiarizingprogressive
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have been familiarizingperfect progressive
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has been familiarizingperfect progressive
Past
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familiarizedsimple
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had familiarizedperfect
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was familiarizingprogressive
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were familiarizingprogressive
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had been familiarizingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of familiarize
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.
Vocabulary lists containing familiarize
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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.
See Examples For:
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
Before diving into specific recipes, it’s important to familiarize yourself with ingredients that can be used in lieu of onions, Chavez says.
From Salon ● Feb. 26, 2026
And there’s another great feeling that I’d like you to familiarize yourself with: the power of compounding within your Roth IRA.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 5, 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
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
A jagged, Tarantinian flashback structure slowly familiarizes us with the plotters.
From New York Times ● Apr. 6, 2023
She familiarizes herself with an Ulla Johnson or a Proenza Schouler because she comes to Rent the Runway.
From The Verge ● Jul. 26, 2022
Kurilla, confirmed to his post in February, is traveling throughout Central Asia this month, meeting with American diplomats and foreign counterparts as he familiarizes himself with what has been one of the Pentagon’s highest-profile assignments.
From Washington Post ● Jun. 15, 2022
In 2019, there are only five major conferences, but there are enough broadcast outlets to ensure that no announcing team ever familiarizes itself with any individual program.
From Slate ● Nov. 7, 2019
This chapter also familiarizes the reader with each method’s philosophy and principles, unique pedagogy, and practices and activities.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
They also reviewed the spacecraft's interior layout, tested communication systems, and familiarized themselves with the sounds produced by Dragon's fans and pumps.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 2, 2026
After Hirono said that she had just familiarized Bondi with Trump’s statement, Bondi again insisted that she was not aware of the remarks and had no further comment.
From Salon ● Jan. 15, 2025
Business was steady, and working long shifts behind the counter familiarized them with the neighborhood and community.
From Slate ● Dec. 4, 2024
And I’m sure everyone participating in this debate has first familiarized themselves with the long history of political conflicts in the Taiwan Strait.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2022
After my previous experience on the horns I had familiarized myself with the Rerum Codex, the University’s official rules.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
Start by familiarizing yourself with the fundamentals of the stock that is the focus of the article you’re reading.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 4, 2026
Covering the criminal justice system in Louisiana often means familiarizing myself with things people in other parts of the country might find shocking.
From Salon ● Sep. 3, 2025
She said it is where her children have grown up, familiarizing themselves with every inch.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 15, 2023
The exaggerated perils of fictional monsters create strong emotional and behavioral responses, familiarizing us with these reactions for when we have to deal with more down-to-earth dangers.
From Scientific American ● Oct. 20, 2023
After I finished familiarizing myself with the area, I sat down and tried to think about how I was going to get out of the forest.
From "A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier" by Ishmael Beah
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.
