as in strange
not known or experienced before
ordered an unfamiliar wine and was surprised to find that it was much drier than what they were used to
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in ignorance
the state of being unaware or uninformed
some intense studying rapidly remedied my unfamiliarity with the subject in time for the exam
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 unfamiliar
ABC News, 8 May 2026
For readers unfamiliar with the Louisiana case, in late 2023, a federal appeals court ruled that Louisiana’s map drawn after the 2020 census violated the Voting Rights Act.
—Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 6 May 2026
Dominick Mastrangelo, The Hill, 15 Apr. 2026
Because of his smaller size and the coaches’ unfamiliarity with his game, Hicks was placed on the school’s second-level 15U prep team.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 4 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unfamiliar
Adjective
Experts urge caution around the release of the new files, warning that UAP videos are often misinterpreted and mischaracterized by those unfamiliar with military technology.
—ABC News, 8 May 2026
For readers unfamiliar with the Louisiana case, in late 2023, a federal appeals court ruled that Louisiana’s map drawn after the 2020 census violated the Voting Rights Act.
—Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 6 May 2026
Noun
Others mocked the outlet’s apparent unfamiliarity with the logistics of covering Congress.
—Dominick Mastrangelo, The Hill, 15 Apr. 2026
Because of his smaller size and the coaches’ unfamiliarity with his game, Hicks was placed on the school’s second-level 15U prep team.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 4 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unfamiliar
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unfamiliar
Adjective
-
The band played a rather strange/disturbing version of Happy Birthday, and Bilbo’s cake appeared before us.—
Gregg Kilday,
HollywoodReporter,
12 May 2026
-
One monitor shows guitarist Jonny Greenwood manipulating a strange electronic device exuding tangled wires; another loops footage of a burning building.—
Jonathan Cohen,
SPIN,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
The failure of so many people to understand the basic facts about marginal tax rates is one of those little pockets of ignorance that manufacture Republican voters.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
6 May 2026
-
Advertisement Maybe ignorance really can be bliss.—
Shannon Carlin,
Time,
6 May 2026
Adjective
-
The film has also landed a pair of high-profile new additions.—
Kennedy French,
Variety,
8 May 2026
-
There was a lot wrong with it, and new things were going wrong all the time, but many of the old things that had been going wrong were also getting fixed.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
Kwan’s novel trilogy followed the romance of Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) and Nick Young (Henry Golding) as Rachel entered Nick’s elite world of billionaires in Singapore.—
Arushi Jacob,
Variety,
10 May 2026
-
De la Sanch, an assistant professor of environmental science and studies at DePaul University, suggests the reemergence and spread of novel viruses like hantaviruses may be due to climate change, deforestation and urbanization.—
Allison Kiehl,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2026
Adjective
-
More than 80 film and television production service businesses across Los Angeles have closed since 2022 as the industry faces an unprecedented contraction.—
Samantha Masunaga,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2026
-
The Fenomeno Roadster launch demonstrates how Lamborghini is applying electrification not merely to improve efficiency or meet emissions regulations, but to push performance to unprecedented levels.—
James Morris,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
Adjective
-
Next door is Ottimo with its stone pizza oven and all kinds of homemade pasta and fresh fish.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 May 2026
-
Canned tuna isn’t a replacement for the fresh kind but instead is its own big player.—
Nina Moskowitz,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
10 May 2026
Adjective
-
But the filmmaker’s imagination transfigures personal history into something not of this world, wholly original, and uniquely demented.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
8 May 2026
-
In the video, published in 2024 and noted in the lawsuit, James references the original sketch work for Neytiri.—
Alexandra Del Rosario,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
And those numbers exclude the outbreak on the cruise-ship MV Hondius, the origins of which remain unknown.—
Gonzalo Zegarra,
CNN Money,
9 May 2026
-
California is among the slowest states to tally votes, with results often unknown for days or weeks.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unfamiliar.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unfamiliar. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
