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

His experience high up in department leadership and navigating the COVID-19 pandemic in the jails and familiarity with how immigration enforcement intersects with the county jails informs his plans, Corbett said. —Sierra Van Der Brug, Daily News, 28 May 2026

The right partner should demonstrate familiarity with Regulation S-P, provide contractual commitments around breach notification and produce documentation that supports your oversight program. —Ben Tercha, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026

The instinct is to screen entry-level candidates on AI familiarity. —Rob Giglio, Fortune, 28 May 2026

Jorgensen can justifiably contend that no goalkeeper can perform at their best when denied the rhythm and familiarity with team-mates that comes from regular football. —Mario Cortegana, New York Times, 27 May 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