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noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective familiar contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of familiar are common, ordinary, plain, popular, and vulgar. While all these words mean "generally met with and not in any way special, strange, or unusual," familiar stresses the fact of being generally known and easily recognized.

a familiar melody

When would common be a good substitute for familiar?

The words common and familiar can be used in similar contexts, but common implies usual everyday quality or frequency of occurrence and may additionally suggest inferiority or coarseness.

a common error
lacked common honesty
common manners

Where would ordinary be a reasonable alternative to familiar?

The words ordinary and familiar are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, ordinary stresses conformance in quality or kind with the regular order of things.

an ordinary pleasant summer day
a very ordinary sort of man

When could plain be used to replace familiar?

While the synonyms plain and familiar are close in meaning, plain is likely to suggest homely simplicity.

plain hard-working people

When is popular a more appropriate choice than familiar?

In some situations, the words popular and familiar are roughly equivalent. However, popular applies to what is accepted by or prevalent among people in general sometimes in contrast to upper classes or special groups.

a writer of popular romances

How do vulgar and popular relate to one another, in the sense of familiar?

Vulgar, otherwise similar to popular, is likely to carry derogatory connotations (as of inferiority or coarseness).

souvenirs designed to appeal to the vulgar taste

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of familiar
Adjective
The codes of Versace are very strong and Vitale manipulated the familiar in a playful way. Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2025 Sketching the future Within certain corners of the AI world, Leopold Aschenbrenner was already familiar as someone who had written blog posts, essays, and research papers that circulated among AI safety circles, even before joining OpenAI. Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2025
Noun
The town is populated with familiars: her brother, her best friend, a new lover, a new grandniece. Condé Nast, The New Yorker, 17 July 2023 Most recently, the actor played Count Dracula in this year's Renfield opposite Nicholas Hoult's titular familiar. Clark Collis, EW.com, 17 May 2023 See All Example Sentences for familiar
Recent Examples of Synonyms for familiar
Adjective
  • Bishnoi denies involvement in Moosewala’s murder, but in an explosive interview from behind bars, accused his close aide of orchestrating it.
    Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2025
  • The departure of Busquets and Alba means Messi will lose two of his most talented teammates and closest friends.
    Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Caron became acquainted with NESN’s people during the 1994-95 NHL lockout, during which the network covered a number of the Pirates’ games while the Bruins weren’t playing, including a playoff series involving the Pirates and the Providence Bruins.
    Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 29 Aug. 2025
  • That's where Chad Volk, who opened LC Car Care in Lake Crystal in 2018, became well acquainted with the 2015 Edge.
    Jamie L. LaReau, USA Today, 18 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Rare earths are ubiquitous in everyday technologies, from smartphones to wind turbines to LED lights and flat-screen TVs.
    Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 11 Oct. 2025
  • His level of greatness is so ubiquitous that people use his namesake as a measuring stick in other realms.
    Devin Robertson, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Jackson returns as Wes Bryant, a handsome, intelligent, but arrogant man who had just moved to Seattle and was revealed to be a new medical intern at Grey Sloan.
    Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 9 Oct. 2025
  • Jack Cutmore-Scott as Julius Beaufort, an arrogant new money banker at the center of New York society with an interest in Ellen.
    Joe Otterson, Variety, 2 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Some fans on social media speculated that the pop star’s T-shirt might be a subtle jab at Swift, who frequently visits Kansas City with her fiancé, Travis Kelce.
    Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 12 Oct. 2025
  • There will be a lot of Cowboys fans in the crowd.
    Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 12 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Dress them up or down for work meetings, a movie night at home, or brunch with friends.
    Laura Lu, Parents, 8 Oct. 2025
  • The unique setting called for a bit of creative design, so the couple tapped longtime friend Caroline Rolader of Reu Architects.
    Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Guided by a chef who shared that same intimate connection, the experience felt full circle.
    Essence, Essence, 11 Oct. 2025
  • This can be accomplished through different flooring in transitional and intimate spaces, like a foyer or a corridor to a bedroom.
    Quincy Bulin, Southern Living, 11 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Stay informed, stay vigilant, and prioritize safety when enjoying the surf.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 11 Oct. 2025
  • According to an informed Kurdish source, the only cultural concession Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani was willing to offer was a mere three hours of after-school Kurdish language instruction.
    Hassan Hassan, Time, 11 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Familiar.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/familiar. Accessed 13 Oct. 2025.

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