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

• 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

Their approach is all about familiarizing themselves with every client and crafting communications that are aligned with their goals and values. —Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2025

Like a fireside chat with FDR, this tradition familiarized the man. —Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2025

There wasn’t much time to familiarize yourselves with the 2025 TSSAA football season. —Tyler Palmateer, The Tennessean, 22 Aug. 2025

These provide an in-depth view of customer touchpoints from start to finish, enabling organizations to deeply familiarize themselves with customer motivations. —Gary Drenik, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025

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