familiar Hear it!

familiar Definition

fa·mil·iar (fə mil′yər)

adjective

  1. Archaic having to do with a family
  2. friendly, informal, or intimate to be on familiar terms
  3. too friendly; unduly intimate or bold; presumptuous
  4. having an intimate knowledge of; closely acquainted (with) familiar with the Bible
  5. well-known; common; ordinary a familiar sight
  6. domesticated: said of animals

Etymology: ME familier < OFr < L familiaris, of a household, domestic < familia, family

noun

    1. a close friend or associate
    2. Rare habitué
    3. Archaic an ecclesiastical servant or agent
  2. Folklore an evil spirit constantly attending someone and typically dwelling within an animal; also, the animal within which such a spirit dwells

familiar Related Forms
fa·mil′·iarly adverb
familiar Synonyms

familiar

modif.

  1. Commonly known

    everyday, well-known, customary, frequent, homely, humble, usual, intimate, habitual, accustomed, common, ordinary, oft-encountered, informal, unceremonious, plain, simple, matter-of-fact, workaday, prosaic, commonplace, homespun, natural, native, unsophisticated, unvarnished, old hat*, garden variety*. *

    Antonyms unusual*, exotic*, strange*, new. *

  2. Friendly

    close, intimate, confidential, casual, cordial, easy, informal, free-and-easy, unceremonious, presumptuous, presuming, forward, bold, overfamiliar, chummy*; see also intimate 1. See syn. study at common.

familiar is applied to that which is known through constant association, and, with reference to persons, suggests informality, or even presumption, such as might prevail among members of a family remain on familiar terms; close is applied to persons or things very near to one in affection, attraction, interests, etc. close friends; intimate implies very close association, acquaintance, relationship, etc. invited her intimate friends or suggests something of a very personal or private nature intimate letters; confidential implies a relationship in which there is mutual trust and a sharing of private thoughts, problems, etc. a confidential friendship

familiar Usage Examples

Preposition: with

  • terminology: You do not need to be familiar with medical terminology.
  • concept: Also, you should be familiar with the basic concepts surrounding postmodernism.
  • aspect: With Human Sciences, no student who begins the course will be familiar with all aspects of it.
  • terrain: If you are traveling in mountainous areas become familiar with the terrain and the hazards involved, including avalanche potential.
  • literature: The book of Revelation only seems strange to us because we are not familiar with apocalyptic literature.
  • procedure: All staff should be familiar with the fire evacuation procedure.

Modifying Another Word

  • strangely: They may be a long way from home, but the surroundings are strangely familiar: the honesty, the passion.
  • vaguely: His dark muted scenes seem vaguely familiar, distant, like haunting memories.
  • depressingly: Many of these are depressingly familiar to militant workers around the world.

Modifies a noun

  • surroundings: Care at Home Most people prefer to stay in their own home for as long as possible, living independently in familiar surroundings.
  • face: Four Gigs in April, nice to meet up with some familiar faces along the way.
  • sight: Saturday morning arrived and I looked out of the window, only to be greeted with the familiar sight of rain.
  • territory: With ' What Dreams ' we return once more to more familiar territory with a more traditional soft rock style.
  • landmark: This is a " directionally oriented mental representation of the distribution of familiar landmarks " .
  • tune: Suddenly, as with one voice, they burst forth into a song in a familiar tune but in unknown tongues.

Used with adjective complement

  • become: Students will become familiar with the database software package Microsoft Access.
  • seem: To start with, the pupils seemed less familiar with these animals than I would have expected.
  • sound: What now sounds familiar was honed in the States in the 1950s.
  • look: The music is the same, the setting is the same and even the scenery looks familiar.
  • feel: It felt weirdly familiar: it felt like I was home.
familiar Quotes

Don't let us be familiar or fond, nor kiss before folks, like my Lady Fadler and Sir Francis: nor go to Hyde-Park together the first Sunday in a new chariot, to provoke eyes and whispers, and then never be seen there together again; as if we were proud of one another the first week, and ashamed of one another ever after† Let usbe verystrangeandwell-bred: Let usbe asstrangeasif wehad beenmarried a great while, and aswell-bred as if we were not married at all.

—Congreve,William