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

Were there important new storylines emerging involving your siblings, roommates, and close friends, or a sense of having to rebuild a sense of familiarity and normalcy from the ground up? —Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Jan. 2026

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid prioritized that familiarity when looking for an offensive coordinator to replace Matt Nagy. —Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 29 Jan. 2026

Leaders should be able to distinguish between variables that reflect actual capability and those that merely approximate familiarity or past privilege. —Sheila Callaham, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026

Travis Switzer, the Ravens’ run game coordinator, feels like the most likely hire if Harbaugh chooses a coach who brings both familiarity and a resume that appeals to Dart’s dual-threat skill set. —Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 29 Jan. 2026

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