familiarize

verb

fa·​mil·​iar·​ize fə-ˈmil-yə-ˌrīz 

familiarized; familiarizing

transitive verb

1

: to make known or familiar

… Shakespeare … familiarizes the wonderful …

—Samuel Johnson

2

: to make well acquainted

familiarize students with good literature

familiarization

fə-ˌmil-yə-rə-ˈzā-shən 

noun

Synonyms of familiarize

• inform
• advise
• tell
• instruct

Examples of familiarize in a Sentence

I've been slowly familiarizing myself with the neighborhood.

the general's day-to-day duties included familiarizing the president on international developments

Recent Examples on the Web

Homebuyers and owners looking to refinance need to familiarize themselves with the mortgage interest rate climate before getting started. —Matt Richardson, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026

Is there anything that can be done to re-familiarize them with the length of the windows? —Brent Lang, Variety, 16 Apr. 2026

So, she's had to familiarize herself with the technology to be able to support her clients. —Rhitu Chatterjee, NPR, 10 Apr. 2026

So, familiarize yourself with the three Ps and how to optimize them all. —Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 7 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1593, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for familiarize

• actualize
• antagonize
• apologise
• apologize
• capitalize
• categorize
• characterize
• commercialize
• conceptualize
• contrariwise
• criminalize
• decentralize

Kids Definition

familiarize

verb

fa·​mil·​iar·​ize fə-ˈmil-yə-ˌrīz 

familiarized; familiarizing

: to make familiar

familiarize yourself with the place

familiarization

-ˌmil-yə-rə-ˈzā-shən 

noun