familiar

1 of 2

noun

fa·​mil·​iar fə-ˈmil-yər 

1

: a member of the household of a high official

2

: one who is often seen and well known

especially : an intimate associate : companion

3

: a spirit often embodied in an animal and held to attend and serve or guard a person

the loathsome toad, the witches' familiar

—Harvey Graham

4

a

: one who is well acquainted with something

familiars of violence

—John Updike

b

: one who frequents a place

familiars of the embassy

—Rebecca West

familiar

2 of 2

adjective

1

: closely acquainted : intimate

a familiar family friend

2

obsolete : affable, sociable

3

a

: of or relating to a family

remembering past familiar celebrations

b

: frequented by families

a familiar resort

4

a

: being free and easy

the familiar association of old friends

b

: marked by informality

a familiar essay

c

: overly free and unrestrained : presumptuous

grossly familiar behavior

d

: moderately tame

familiar animals

5

a

: frequently seen or experienced : easily recognized

a familiar theme

b

: of everyday occurrence

a familiar routine

c

: possibly known but imperfectly remembered

her face looked familiar

6

: having personal or intimate knowledge

—used with with

familiar with the facts of the case

familiarly adverb

familiarness noun

Synonyms

Noun

• denizen
• frequenter
• habitué
• habitue
• haunter
• rat
• regular

Adjective

• bosom
• buddy-buddy
• chummy
• close
• especial
• friendly
• inseparable
• intimate
• inward
• near
• thick
• tight

Choose the Right Synonym for familiar

common, ordinary, plain, familiar, popular, vulgar mean generally met with and not in any way special, strange, or unusual.

common implies usual everyday quality or frequency of occurrence

a common error

lacked common honesty

and may additionally suggest inferiority or coarseness.

common manners

ordinary stresses conformance in quality or kind with the regular order of things.

an ordinary pleasant summer day

a very ordinary sort of man

plain is likely to suggest homely simplicity.

plain hard-working people

familiar stresses the fact of being generally known and easily recognized.

a familiar melody

popular applies to what is accepted by or prevalent among people in general sometimes in contrast to upper classes or special groups.

a writer of popular romances

vulgar, otherwise similar to popular, is likely to carry derogatory connotations (as of inferiority or coarseness).

souvenirs designed to appeal to the vulgar taste

Examples of familiar in a Sentence

Noun

a longtime familiar of the bar, she would most likely have been there on the night in question

with old familiars the normally reserved writer can be quite warm and funny

Adjective

Some authors, such as Richard Rodriguez and Ruben Martinez, will be familiar to media mavens outside the region … —Ray Olson, Booklist, 15 Oct. 1996

I think one reason I finally have finished a novel about baseball is that it happens to be one of the few subjects that I know much about. If I were as familiar with forestry, music, … or the city of Rotterdam, I am sure I would have written fiction grounded in that knowledge long ago. —Philip Roth, Reading Myself and Others, 1975

The essay covers familiar ground.

She has become a familiar figure in the world of politics.

She spoke in a familiar way about her past.

an essay written in a familiar style

a familiar way of addressing someone

They felt the waiter was being overly familiar.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The roaming vampire was hanging out in front of the movie theater with his human familiars, all fully armed and ready to throw down for their undead master. —Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 22 Mar. 2023

The town is populated with familiars: her brother, her best friend, a new lover, a new grandniece. —Condé Nast, The New Yorker, 17 July 2023

Adjective

The familiar problems with interceptions, lack of discipline and missed kicks keep popping up. —Zac Jackson, The Athletic, 9 Dec. 2024

Yet there’s a familiar ring here: Republicans are back in power; deregulation and spending cuts to social programs meant to protect ordinary people are back in vogue. —Benjamin Wallace-Wells, The New Yorker, 8 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Noun

Middle English familier, from Anglo-French, from Latin familiaris, from familia — see family entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing familiar

• familiar face
• familiar ground
• familiar spirit
• familiar with

Kids Definition

familiar

1 of 2 noun

fa·​mil·​iar fə-ˈmil-yər 

1

: a close associate : companion

2

: a spirit believed to serve or guard a person

called also familiar spirit

familiar

2 of 2 adjective

1

: closely acquainted : intimate

2

a

: informal sense 1

spoke in a familiar way

b

: too friendly or bold : forward

3

a

: frequently seen or experienced

b

: of everyday occurrence

4

: having a good knowledge

familiar with the rules

familiarly adverb