familiarity

noun

fa·​mil·​iar·​i·​ty fə-ˌmi-lē-ˈ(y)er-ə-tē 

-ˈ(y)a-rə-;

-ˌmil-ˈyer-, 

-ˌmil-ˈya-rə-

plural familiarities

1

a

: the quality or state of being familiar

b

: a state of close relationship : intimacy

2

a

: absence of ceremony : informality

b

: an unduly informal act or expression : impropriety

c

: a sexual liberty

3

: close acquaintance with something

Synonyms of familiarity

• intimacy
• belonging
• kinship

Examples of familiarity in a Sentence

He spoke to everyone with the easy familiarity of an old friend.

the elderly couple enjoys a familiarity that is the result of many years of happy marriage

Recent Examples on the Web

Where familiarity and fear coexist In El Paso, Texas, Border Patrol is a constant presence, and residents describe the agency as deeply embedded in daily life. —David Culver, CNN Money, 18 Dec. 2025

As the world moves faster and trends continue to evolve, the pull toward familiarity, warmth and tradition has grown to be stronger than ever. —Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 18 Dec. 2025

Rather than attempting to span a broad set of sectors, QueensGiant builds deep familiarity within select areas, which allows its guidance to be more precise and its representation clearer. —Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 16 Dec. 2025

What was your familiarity with the original 1984 film and the sequels going into that? —Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 15 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for familiarity

• angularity
• bipolarity
• capillarity
• cellularity
• circularity
• granularity
• insincerity
• insularity
• modularity
• osmolarity
• popularity
• regularity

Kids Definition

familiarity

noun

fa·​mil·​iar·​i·​ty fə-ˌmil-ˈyar-ət-ē 

-ˌmil-ē-ˈar-

plural familiarities

1

: close friendship : intimacy

2

: lack of formality : freedom and ease in personal relations

3

: close acquaintance with or knowledge of something

4

: an overly bold act or expression