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

The remaining shades include Townsend Harbour Brown, White Down, and Nelson Blue, all of which are tinged with the comfort of familiarity. — Kelly Dawson, Architectural Digest, 14 Oct. 2026

And while the Dodgers haven’t done anything against them yet, that familiarity could help in the rest of the series. — Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026

That familiarity has certainly worked in the movie’s favor among some viewers, particularly those invested in its maximalist approach to both familial melodrama and semi-surreal scares. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 12 Oct. 2026

Puri said students should build familiarity with AI tools but not neglect the skills that remain central when working with them. — Corynn Winston, CNBC, 11 Oct. 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