intimacy

noun

in·​ti·​ma·​cy ˈin-tə-mə-sē 

plural intimacies

1

: the state of being intimate : familiarity

2

: something of a personal or private nature

Synonyms of intimacy

• familiarity
• belonging
• kinship
• friendship
• love

Examples of intimacy in a Sentence

the intimacy of old friends

the intimacy of their relationship

He felt he achieved a certain intimacy with her.

The band liked the intimacy of the nightclub.

Recent Examples on the Web

But, in the intimacy of this kind of reading, readers can feel their work responded to in the moment and chat about it later with attendees while getting drinks in the kitchen. —Literary Hub, 2 Apr. 2026

There’s an intimacy to it in the verses, and then there’s a big dynamic jump, an octave jump between the verse and the chorus, which just explodes into this hopeful, optimistic thing. —Chris Willman, Variety, 2 Apr. 2026

Yet there’s also an individual, human-scale intimacy to the way history unfolds. —The New Yorker, New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2026

Burden internalized this pattern, of foregrounding the importance of the paterfamilias at the expense of real intimacy, of keeping up appearances despite the private pain. —Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1641, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

intimacy

noun

in·​ti·​ma·​cy ˈint-ə-mə-sē 

plural intimacies

1

: the state of being intimate

2

: something of a personal or private nature

shared little intimacies in their letters