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Synonyms

unfamiliar

American  
[uhn-fuh-mil-yer] / ˌʌn fəˈmɪl yər /

adjective

  1. not familiar; not acquainted with or conversant about.

    to be unfamiliar with a subject.

  2. different; unaccustomed; unusual; strange.

    an unfamiliar treat.

    Synonyms:
    new, novel, curious

unfamiliar British  
/ ˌʌnfəˈmɪljə, ˌʌnfəˌmɪlɪˈærɪtɪ /

adjective

  1. not known or experienced; strange

  2. not familiar

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • unfamiliarity noun
  • unfamiliarly adverb

Etymology

Origin of unfamiliar

First recorded in 1585–95; un- 1 + familiar

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.

Instead, they followed unfamiliar rules that could not be explained by classical physics.

From Science Daily

This air of mystery is not unfamiliar in the moss world.

From BBC

This analysis uncovered specific genes associated with traits such as trainability, activity level, fear of unfamiliar people, and aggression toward other dogs.

From Science Daily

Arteta used an unfamiliar three-man defence, with the Gunners boss saying the players had trained in the formation "once" and for "10 minutes".

From BBC

Organisers said race-assigned police personnel responded to an "officer down" call and replacement officers were unfamiliar with the race's "unusual route" over a footbridge not normally used by cars.

From BBC