familiar

[fuh-mil-yer]

adjective

1. commonly or generally known or seen.

   a familiar sight.

2. well-acquainted; thoroughly conversant.

   to be familiar with a subject.

3. informal; easygoing; unceremonious; unconstrained.

   to write in a familiar style.

4. closely intimate or personal.

   a familiar friend; to be on familiar terms.

5. unduly intimate; too personal; taking liberties; presuming.

   The duchess disliked familiar servants.

   Synonyms: bold, forward

6. domesticated; tame.

7. of or relating to a family or household.

noun

1. a familiar friend or associate.

2. familiar spirit. Witchcraft and Demonology.,  a supernatural spirit or demon, often in the form of an animal, supposed to serve and aid a witch or other individual.

3. Roman Catholic Church.

   1. an officer of the Inquisition, employed to arrest accused or suspected persons.

   2. a person who belongs to the household of the pope or of a bishop, rendering domestic though not menial service.

familiar

/ fəˈmɪlɪə /

adjective

1. well-known; easily recognized

   a familiar figure

2. frequent or customary

   a familiar excuse

3. acquainted

4. friendly; informal

5. close; intimate

6. more intimate than is acceptable; presumptuous

7. an archaic word for familial

noun

1. Also called: familiar spirit. a supernatural spirit often assuming animal form, supposed to attend and aid a witch, wizard, etc

2. a person, attached to the household of the pope or a bishop, who renders service in return for support

3. an officer of the Inquisition who arrested accused persons

4. a friend or frequent companion

Other Word Forms

• familiarly adverb
• familiarness noun
• nonfamiliar adjective
• nonfamiliarly adverb
• overfamiliar adjective
• overfamiliarly adverb
• prefamiliar adjective
• prefamiliarly adverb
• quasi-familiar adjective
• quasi-familiarly adverb
• ultrafamiliar adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of familiar¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Latin familiāris “of a household,” family, -ar ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of familiar¹

C14: from Latin familiāris domestic, from familia _family

Idioms and Phrases

see have a familiar ring.

Synonym Study

Familiar, confidential, intimate suggest a long association between persons. Familiar means well-acquainted with another person: a familiar friend. Confidential suggests a sense of mutual trust that extends to the sharing of confidences and secrets: a confidential adviser. Intimate suggests close acquaintance or connection, often based on interest, sympathy, or affection: intimate and affectionate letters.

Example Sentences

Clippers owner Steve Ballmer nearly granted naming rights to the company, but ended up choosing financial services firm Intuit to grace the $2-billion venue, a source familiar with the matter said.

From Los Angeles Times

She will be remembered as a familiar figure at the Wimbledon tennis championships, where she handed over trophies - and consoled those who had lost, famously including a tearful Jana Novotna in 1993.

From BBC

The music still instantly captivates, even if whole swaths of the audience won’t be familiar with the original songs, impudently rewritten for the occasion.

From Los Angeles Times

Northern Ireland top the group after Slovakia's shock 2-0 win over Germany, and O'Neill was full of praise for Devenny, who was deployed at left wing-back instead of his more familiar midfield role.

From BBC

The crime-fighting combo of a roguish guy and a no-nonsense gal is familiar from “Moonlighting” and “Castle.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• intimate 
• mundane 
• recognizable www.thesaurus.com
• simple 
• usual