unfamiliar
adjective
un·fa·mil·iar
ˌən-fə-ˈmil-yər 
: not familiar:
a
: not well-known : strange
an unfamiliar place
b
: not well acquainted
unfamiliar with the subject
Synonyms
Examples of unfamiliar in a Sentence
He gets nervous when he is in unfamiliar surroundings.
The book is full of unfamiliar words.
Recent Examples on the Web
Restrict your plant palette Avoid impulsively buying a random assortment of pretty but unfamiliar plants.
—
Karen Hugg, Washington Post, 8 Apr. 2024
The infusion of rap and hip-hop with country isn’t unfamiliar to country listeners, Hughes said.
—Leah Asmelash, CNN, 5 Apr. 2024
Wernick, the Miami zoning attorney, said banks are often loath to lend to unfamiliar types of projects.
—Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 29 Mar. 2024
But new competitions can give teams the opportunity to test themselves against unfamiliar opponents.
—Robert Kidd, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Taking on a host of unfamiliar responsibilities like finance and sales required a significant shift in mind-set.
—IEEE Spectrum, 27 Mar. 2024
The session includes a virtual ground course with top phobia expert Lawrence Leyton and a senior easyJet captain to run through the unfamiliar sounds and sensations on aircrafts, and teach different techniques to cope with nervousness, plus a one-hour long flight with a live commentary.
—Olivia Morelli, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Mar. 2024
But a new study shows dogs’ brains respond about as well as a human’s when presented with familiar versus unfamiliar words, according to a study inCurrent Biology.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 25 Mar. 2024
Refrain from buying into an unfamiliar investment or someone else’s hunch.
—Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2024
Karen Hugg, Washington Post, 8 Apr. 2024
The infusion of rap and hip-hop with country isn’t unfamiliar to country listeners, Hughes said.
—Leah Asmelash, CNN, 5 Apr. 2024
Wernick, the Miami zoning attorney, said banks are often loath to lend to unfamiliar types of projects.
—Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 29 Mar. 2024
But new competitions can give teams the opportunity to test themselves against unfamiliar opponents.
—Robert Kidd, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Taking on a host of unfamiliar responsibilities like finance and sales required a significant shift in mind-set.
—IEEE Spectrum, 27 Mar. 2024
The session includes a virtual ground course with top phobia expert Lawrence Leyton and a senior easyJet captain to run through the unfamiliar sounds and sensations on aircrafts, and teach different techniques to cope with nervousness, plus a one-hour long flight with a live commentary.
—Olivia Morelli, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Mar. 2024
But a new study shows dogs’ brains respond about as well as a human’s when presented with familiar versus unfamiliar words, according to a study inCurrent Biology.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 25 Mar. 2024
Refrain from buying into an unfamiliar investment or someone else’s hunch.
—Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unfamiliar.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near unfamiliar
Cite this Entry
“Unfamiliar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unfamiliar. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
unfamiliar
adjective
un·fa·mil·iar
ˌən-fə-ˈmil-yər
1
: not well-known : strange
an unfamiliar place
2
: not well acquainted
unfamiliar with the subject
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share