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

Deutsche Telekom contributes enterprise telecoms expertise and European regulatory familiarity. — Ethan M. Stone, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026

One lesson from the slate so far, Shergill says, is that audiences want both familiarity and discovery at once. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 9 Sep. 2026

In many professional settings, visibility is influenced by seniority, volume, familiarity or social confidence. — Siri Swahari, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2026

The restaurant feels like a time capsule of familiarity, of a home away from home that’s evident with every bite. — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 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