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
Relevance
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 unfamiliarity
Kennedy’s overhaul of the group and its unfamiliarity with some of the nitty-gritty of procedural requirements was evident throughout the afternoon.
—
O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 28 Apr. 2026
But that confidence may be put to a test as potential challengers included in the survey posted stronger favorability scores than Johnson — though the city residents surveyed displayed significant levels of unfamiliarity with those possible rivals.
—Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026
Experts say North Korean troops sent to the war earlier became easy targets for drone and artillery attacks due to their lack of combat experience and unfamiliarity with the terrain.
—ABC News, 26 Apr. 2026
In between, though, the Mets showed their unfamiliarity with running the bases.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 16 Apr. 2026
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
With time, any initial uneasiness and unfamiliarity on the part of our students gives way to a clearer understanding of preparedness and the confidence to act as their own first line of defense.
—Gayle Pearlstein, The Washington Examiner, 3 Apr. 2026
The unfamiliarity with the play makes it that much harder to execute.
—Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2026
O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 28 Apr. 2026
But that confidence may be put to a test as potential challengers included in the survey posted stronger favorability scores than Johnson — though the city residents surveyed displayed significant levels of unfamiliarity with those possible rivals.
—Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026
Experts say North Korean troops sent to the war earlier became easy targets for drone and artillery attacks due to their lack of combat experience and unfamiliarity with the terrain.
—ABC News, 26 Apr. 2026
In between, though, the Mets showed their unfamiliarity with running the bases.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 16 Apr. 2026
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
With time, any initial uneasiness and unfamiliarity on the part of our students gives way to a clearer understanding of preparedness and the confidence to act as their own first line of defense.
—Gayle Pearlstein, The Washington Examiner, 3 Apr. 2026
The unfamiliarity with the play makes it that much harder to execute.
—Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unfamiliarity
ignorance
Noun
-
Rather than implying ignorance, the silence becomes a constraint.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
3 May 2026
-
Darling, who co-wrote her romantic thriller along with fellow Baha’i and husband Clark Donnelly, added the title for her Cast Aside the Clouds film came from a poem by Iranian writer Tahireh about replacing ignorance with world unity, a key tenet of the Baha’i faith.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unfamiliarity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unfamiliarity. Accessed 6 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
