unfamiliar

1 of 2

adjective

un·​fa·​mil·​iar ˌən-fə-ˈmil-yər 

: not familiar:

a

: not well-known : strange

an unfamiliar place

—often used with to

used words that were unfamiliar to me

b

: not well acquainted

unfamiliar with the subject

unfamiliarity

ˌən-fə-ˌmil-ˈyer-ə-tē 

-ˌmi-lē-ˈyer-, 

-ˈya-rə-

noun

unfamiliarly

ˌən-fə-ˈmil-yər-lē 

adverb

unfamiliarity

2 of 2

noun

un·​familiarity "+ 

: the quality or state of being unfamiliar : strangeness, novelty

his unfamiliarity with this quarter of the city

an unfamiliarity with the new rules slowed down his play

the unfamiliarity of the scene

Synonyms of unfamiliar

Adjective

• strange
• new
• novel
• unprecedented
• fresh
• original
• unknown

Examples of unfamiliar in a Sentence

Adjective

He gets nervous when he is in unfamiliar surroundings.

The book is full of unfamiliar words.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

An unfamiliar woman of twenty-three or twenty-four was standing there talking with my aunt, who was sitting on the stoop. — Yasushi Inoue, New Yorker, 8 Nov. 2026

Review your carrier account for unfamiliar devices, lines, eSIMs, upgrades, address changes or changes to your account PIN. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 7 Nov. 2026

Anthropic said Claude can explain unfamiliar financial terms, such as annual percentage rates (APR), and calculate the interest charged across connected accounts. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 6 Nov. 2026

But pajama dressing is hardly unfamiliar territory for Lawrence, whose relaxed street style has increasingly blurred the boundaries between getting dressed and staying in. — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 5 Nov. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

unfamiliar + -ity

First Known Use

Adjective

1594, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing unfamiliar

• unfamiliar with (something)

Rhymes for unfamiliar

• conciliar
• familiar

Kids 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

unfamiliarity

-ˌmil-ˈyar-ət-ē 

-ˌmil-ē-ˈ(y)ar-

noun