familiarize
Americanverb (used with object)
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familiarizes,
present (3rd person singular)
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familiarized,
past participle, past
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familiarizing
present participle
verb (used without object)
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familiarizes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
familiarized,
past participle, past
-
familiarizing
present participle
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:
Department of Water and Power, the Phoenix-born artist would often carry his camera and familiarize himself with the city while working as a meter reader.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
Without needing to build a website or familiarize themselves with a forum, any netizen could start or join a conversation at any time.
From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2026
“It was received in a way that not only did we want to change how we, you know, approach today, but also to familiarize ourselves with sustaining the way that this feels moving forward.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
You’ll also want to familiarize yourself with the current market.
From MarketWatch ● May 29, 2026
I would learn information and familiarize myself with ways to categorize it along certain topic lines.
From "March Forward, Girl" by Melba Pattillo Beals
Max Walker-Silverman, who wrote and directed this lovely first feature, familiarizes us with Faye’s daily routine before he even gives us a good look at her face.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2022
She familiarizes herself with an Ulla Johnson or a Proenza Schouler because she comes to Rent the Runway.
From The Verge ● Jul. 26, 2022
This familiarizes children with a variety of foods and makes it more likely for them to enjoy a wider selection of healthful options in the long run.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 11, 2021
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
Business was steady, and working long shifts behind the counter familiarized them with the neighborhood and community.
From Slate ● Dec. 4, 2024
"We are just trying to get them familiarized with our language and culture," she wrote on Jan. 29, 2022.
From Salon ● Nov. 22, 2022
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
I don’t remind him that I still haven’t even seen Mr. X, let alone familiarized myself with his luggage.
From "Liar & Spy" by Rebecca Stead
The slowdown drill is Taiwan’s first, the office of the president said, aimed at familiarizing the public with “how to ensure uninterrupted communication for themselves and their families in emergencies.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026
Moving forward, be sure you’re properly preparing for your interview, meaning you are researching the company and familiarizing yourself with the other players in the industry.
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 16, 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
Cunningham, who had also played and coached under Wooden, didn’t need any familiarizing with the frugal ways of UCLA’s athletic department.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 10, 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.
