familiarize

verb

fa·​mil·​iar·​ize fə-ˈmil-yə-ˌrīz 

familiarized; familiarizing

transitive verb

1

: to make known or familiar

… Shakespeare … familiarizes the wonderful …

—Samuel Johnson

2

: to make well acquainted

familiarize students with good literature

familiarization

fə-ˌmil-yə-rə-ˈzā-shən 

noun

Synonyms of familiarize

• inform
• advise
• tell
• instruct

Examples of familiarize in a Sentence

I've been slowly familiarizing myself with the neighborhood.

the general's day-to-day duties included familiarizing the president on international developments

Recent Examples on the Web

The athletes took practice runs on Monday, familiarizing themselves with the track ahead of Saturday’s regional finals. — Heather McRea, Oc Register, 7 July 2026

On Sunday, June 28, Caio Rocha Aguiar Arrabal was on a hike with others on the Pedra do Macaco trail in Maricá, located in the state of Rio de Janeiro, to familiarize himself with the route, G1 reported. — Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 2 July 2026

This has fueled the ‘spend not sell’ movement, in which builders seek to familiarize users with earning and spending their bitcoin rather than trading and falling for get-rich-quick schemes. — Abubakar Nur Khalil, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026

Deputies plan to conduct demonstrations at schools and community events to familiarize the public with the technology, McCue said. — Reeti Malhotra, Sacbee.com, 24 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1593, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for familiarize

• actualize
• antagonize
• apologise
• apologize
• capitalize
• categorize
• characterize
• commercialize
• conceptualize
• contrariwise
• criminalize
• decentralize

Kids Definition

familiarize

verb

fa·​mil·​iar·​ize fə-ˈmil-yə-ˌrīz 

familiarized; familiarizing

: to make familiar

familiarize yourself with the place

familiarization

-ˌmil-yə-rə-ˈzā-shən 

noun