as in strange
not known or experienced before
ordered an unfamiliar wine and was surprised to find that it was much drier than what they were used to
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in ignorance
the state of being unaware or uninformed
some intense studying rapidly remedied my unfamiliarity with the subject in time for the exam
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of unfamiliar
Bloomberg, The Mercury News, 12 Mar. 2025
When life is beset by extremities, an unfamiliar setting brings an illusion of reprieve, so in the previous story the trip to England is welcomed by Lilian as a geographical distraction.
—Cressida Leyshon, The New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2025
Those opportunities would be valuable at any pace, but combined with the rapidity of these solo rollouts, the BLACKPINK members have worked toward a type of ubiquity that has no doubt shaken some unfamiliar listeners awake.
—Jason Lipshutz, Billboard, 6 Mar. 2025
Christopher Bailey and Riccardo Tisci’s Burberry struck many as unfamiliar.
—Julian Randall, Essence, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unfamiliar
Adjective
By Julia Love and Davey Alba | Bloomberg Alphabet Inc.’s artificial intelligence lab is debuting two new models focused on robotics, which will help developers train robots to respond to unfamiliar scenarios — a longstanding challenge in the field.
—Bloomberg, The Mercury News, 12 Mar. 2025
When life is beset by extremities, an unfamiliar setting brings an illusion of reprieve, so in the previous story the trip to England is welcomed by Lilian as a geographical distraction.
—Cressida Leyshon, The New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2025
Those opportunities would be valuable at any pace, but combined with the rapidity of these solo rollouts, the BLACKPINK members have worked toward a type of ubiquity that has no doubt shaken some unfamiliar listeners awake.
—Jason Lipshutz, Billboard, 6 Mar. 2025
Christopher Bailey and Riccardo Tisci’s Burberry struck many as unfamiliar.
—Julian Randall, Essence, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unfamiliar
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unfamiliar
Adjective
-
Sure, the plot’s kind of a mess, but warrior Alice is an empowering turn while Johnny Depp’s Mad Hatter and Helena Bonham Carter’s big-headed Red Queen are splendidly strange.—
Brian Truitt,
USA TODAY,
22 Mar. 2025
-
The movie business and the television business are strange.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The filmmakers make easy work of granting them the agency to see their stories through, bucking a backdrop of ignorance to stand up to forces attempting to quiet the voices of impending revolution.—
Holly Jones,
Variety,
21 Mar. 2025
-
Her courageous work in eastern Ukraine stands in direct contrast to Trump and Putin, who heap praise on each other and ignore the devastation to Ukraine, an ignorance that not even death and injury to women and children can penetrate.—
Bob Kustra,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Molina’s life is upended after forming an unlikely bond with his new cellmate (Diego Luna).—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
24 Mar. 2025
-
People quickly adapt to new financial circumstances, so while receiving money may bring temporary joy, the effect is fleeting.—
Shane Enete,
Forbes,
24 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Many of them rely on novel legal theories about presidential power that go against longstanding judicial precedent or have never been tested in court.—
Graham Underwood,
arkansasonline.com,
17 Mar. 2025
-
Such discoveries have raised cautious optimism among scientists seeking novel solutions to antibiotic-resistant bacteria—one of medicine's most pressing crises.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes,
16 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Trump's actions during his first 50 days have been unprecedented and norm-shattering, and represent an existential threat to the country.—
Mark Davis,
Newsweek,
16 Mar. 2025
-
The brothers were part of an unprecedented uprising against the regime of Bashar al-Assad that erupted in 2011.—
Mirna Alrached,
NPR,
16 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Keep the following pointers in mind to ensure your cheese experience is the crème de la crème: Think fresh.—
Karla Walsh,
Better Homes & Gardens,
21 Mar. 2025
-
The first film was good, better than its 43% critic score indicated back in 2018, but now both its critic and audience score have improved since the original, a fresh 63% and a 79% respectively.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Dave Meltzer's Wrestling Observer Newsletter reveals that WWE's original plans involved a feud between McIntyre and Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes after WrestleMania.—
Mark Davis,
Newsweek,
15 Mar. 2025
-
The Purple One also created the original song score for director Tim Burton’s Batman in 1989.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes,
15 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
At this time, the containment status is unknown and the cause of the fire remains undetermined.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacramento Bee,
23 Mar. 2025
-
Although the cause of the fire is still unknown, firefighters had the flame extinguished by 7:20pm, upon which the park resumed business.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
22 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unfamiliar.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unfamiliar. Accessed 28 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share