familiarity

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

How to pronounce familiarity (audio)

, -ˈ(y)a-rə-; -ˌmil-ˈyer-, -ˌmil-ˈya-rə- \

plural familiarities

Definition of familiarity

1a : the quality or state of being familiar

b : a state of close relationship : intimacy

2a : absence of ceremony : informality

b : an unduly informal act or expression : impropriety

c : a sexual liberty

3 : close acquaintance with something

Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about familiarity

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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 Johnson, who plays club soccer with many Brophy players, said the familiarity with the Broncos' players helped him in the game. — Jesse Morrison, azcentral, "No. 3 Chaparral draws No. 1 Brophy in 2OT in rematch of 2019 6A semi-final game," 17 Jan. 2020 The destination would not come as a surprise given the familiarity between King and Kendal Briles, who was hired by Arkansas in late December. — Joseph Duarte, Houston Chronicle, "Arkansas among top possibilities for D’Eriq King," 15 Jan. 2020 Cook tried her luck on mainstream apps over the summer but prefers the familiarity of a homegrown platform. — Washington Post, "At the University of Maryland, a last chance at love," 16 Dec. 2019 The familiarity of Ross, 42, with a franchise trying to rekindle the spark of the young core that won the 2016 World Series was a factor in the Cubs selecting him to replace Joe Maddon. — Mark Gonzales, chicagotribune.com, "As the next manager, David Ross will bring a no-nonsense style to Cubs team that lacked accountability," 23 Oct. 2019 So that was a big reason, just the familiarity of it and kind of getting back home, been in Tennessee for over six years now. — Akira Kyles, baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll, "Sykesville’s new town manager eager to get started: ‘It really is a gem’," 19 Sep. 2019 East Lansing girls face early test There is a degree of familiarity in the girls rankings. — Mick Mccabe, Detroit Free Press, "McCabe: Orchard Lake St. Mary's boys can't run from basketball ranking, or their schedule," 5 Jan. 2020 But that lack of familiarity does not mean Stoops has not been impressed by Satterfield’s first season at Louisville. — Jon Hale, The Courier-Journal, "Here's what Mark Stoops said about Scott Satterfield ahead of the 2019 Governor's Cup," 25 Nov. 2019 That dull sense of familiarity is what induced the queasiness that so many viewers seemed to feel following Wednesday night’s episode: even on Survivor, victims are held far more accountable for their harassment than their actual harassers. — Jodi Walker, EW.com, "The Survivor controversy exemplifies how the show reflects society — for better or worse: Opinion," 14 Nov. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'familiarity.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Learn More about familiarity

Dictionary Entries near familiarity

familiar ground

familiar spirit

Statistics for familiarity

Last Updated

22 Jan 2020

Cite this Entry

“Familiarity.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/familiarity. Accessed 27 January 2020.

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More Definitions for familiarity

familiarity

noun

English Language Learners Definition of familiarity

: the state of being familiar with something : the state of having knowledge about something

: a friendly and informal way of acting or talking

See the full definition for familiarity in the English Language Learners Dictionary

familiarity

fa·mil·iar·i·ty | \ fə-ˌmil-ˈyer-ə-tē

, -ˌmil-ē-ˈer- \

plural familiarities

Kids Definition of familiarity

1 : close friendship : intimacy

2 : good knowledge of something His familiarity with the trail was a big advantage to us.

3 : informality

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