fa·mil·iar
fə-ˈmil-yər 
1
: a member of the household of a high official
2
: one who is often seen and well known
especially
: an intimate associate : companion
3
: a spirit often embodied in an animal and held to attend and serve or guard a person
the loathsome toad, the witches' familiar—
Harvey Graham
Harvey Graham4
a
: one who is well acquainted with something
familiars of violence—John Updike
John Updike
b
: one who frequents a place
familiars of the embassy—Rebecca West
Rebecca West
fa·mil·iar
fə-ˈmil-yər
1
: closely acquainted : intimate
a familiar family friend
3
a
: of or relating to a family
remembering past familiar celebrations
b
: frequented by families
a familiar resort
4
a
: being free and easy
the familiar association of old friends
b
: marked by informality
a familiar essay
c
: overly free and unrestrained : presumptuous
grossly familiar behavior
d
: moderately tame
familiar animals
5
a
: frequently seen or experienced : easily recognized
a familiar theme
b
: of everyday occurrence
a familiar routine
c
: possibly known but imperfectly remembered
her face looked familiar
6
: having personal or intimate knowledge
—used with with
familiar with the facts of the case
familiarly
adverb
familiarness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of familiar in a Sentence
Noun
a longtime familiar of the bar, she would most likely have been there on the night in question
with old familiars the normally reserved writer can be quite warm and funny
Adjective
Some authors, such as Richard Rodriguez and Ruben Martinez, will be familiar to media mavens outside the region …
—Ray Olson, Booklist, 15 Oct. 1996
I think one reason I finally have finished a novel about baseball is that it happens to be one of the few subjects that I know much about. If I were as familiar with forestry, music, … or the city of Rotterdam, I am sure I would have written fiction grounded in that knowledge long ago.
—Philip Roth, Reading Myself and Others, 1975
The essay covers familiar ground.
She has become a familiar figure in the world of politics.
She spoke in a familiar way about her past.
an essay written in a familiar style
a familiar way of addressing someone
They felt the waiter was being overly familiar.
Ray Olson, Booklist, 15 Oct. 1996
I think one reason I finally have finished a novel about baseball is that it happens to be one of the few subjects that I know much about. If I were as familiar with forestry, music, … or the city of Rotterdam, I am sure I would have written fiction grounded in that knowledge long ago.
—Philip Roth, Reading Myself and Others, 1975
The essay covers familiar ground.
She has become a familiar figure in the world of politics.
She spoke in a familiar way about her past.
an essay written in a familiar style
a familiar way of addressing someone
They felt the waiter was being overly familiar.
Recent Examples on the WebEric Berger, Ars Technica, 22 Mar. 2023
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
The girl is writing a letter to her brother, and the visitation, the Kid, the Thalidomide Kid, her frightful familiar, is taunting her.
—Joy Williams, Harper's Magazine, 14 Dec. 2022
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
Beyond the internet hype machine, the product variety hits unsuspecting retail shoppers across financial buckets, design conscious online patrons and a host of famous familiars.
—Jacqueline Schneider, Forbes, 5 May 2023
Alongside the food-court familiar, though, diners will find frog legs, beef tendon, pork intestine.
—Amy Drew Thompson, orlandosentinel.com, 29 Aug. 2021
John Obi Mikel, a Nigerian familiar for his years with Chelsea, left another Turkish team, Trabzonspor, this week.
—Victor Mather, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2020
During the Salem witch hunts, common folklore said that witches transformed into their familiars (black cats).
—Lisa Stardust, Teen Vogue, 22 Oct. 2019
Natalie Eilbert, Journal Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2024
The fungus causes infected males to jerk their wings, making a familiar humming noise only made by female cicadas.
—USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2024
The surge of support and drastic plummet is a familiar theme.
—Ebony Flake, Essence, 4 Apr. 2024
After 15 years on the air, hundreds of episodes, and countless international spin-offs, RuPaul’s Drag Race has developed a familiar series of beats, characters, and story points.
—Marah Eakin, WIRED, 3 Apr. 2024
Only Rush is now coping with a different version of the familiar tragedy — one where her own daughter is the victim.
—Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024
Ken Conrad has enraptured us with one of his many stories — either about what he’s done or who he’s met or where his voice has taken him — when his boss gives him a familiar cue.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 3 Apr. 2024
Officials in New York City follow a familiar formula to determine a tax bill.
—Camille Baker, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2024
Friday night’s attacks herald a new dark chapter for Putin, one that is deeply familiar to him.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, 23 Mar. 2024
Noun
The roaming vampire was hanging out in front of the movie theater with his human familiars, all fully armed and ready to throw down for their undead master.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 22 Mar. 2023
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
The girl is writing a letter to her brother, and the visitation, the Kid, the Thalidomide Kid, her frightful familiar, is taunting her.
—Joy Williams, Harper's Magazine, 14 Dec. 2022
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
Beyond the internet hype machine, the product variety hits unsuspecting retail shoppers across financial buckets, design conscious online patrons and a host of famous familiars.
—Jacqueline Schneider, Forbes, 5 May 2023
Alongside the food-court familiar, though, diners will find frog legs, beef tendon, pork intestine.
—Amy Drew Thompson, orlandosentinel.com, 29 Aug. 2021
John Obi Mikel, a Nigerian familiar for his years with Chelsea, left another Turkish team, Trabzonspor, this week.
—Victor Mather, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2020
During the Salem witch hunts, common folklore said that witches transformed into their familiars (black cats).
—Lisa Stardust, Teen Vogue, 22 Oct. 2019
Adjective
Air quality advisories across the state and, with it, recommendations to stay indoors, are increasingly common as wildfires become a familiar part of the spring and summer.
—Natalie Eilbert, Journal Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2024
The fungus causes infected males to jerk their wings, making a familiar humming noise only made by female cicadas.
—USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2024
The surge of support and drastic plummet is a familiar theme.
—Ebony Flake, Essence, 4 Apr. 2024
After 15 years on the air, hundreds of episodes, and countless international spin-offs, RuPaul’s Drag Race has developed a familiar series of beats, characters, and story points.
—Marah Eakin, WIRED, 3 Apr. 2024
Only Rush is now coping with a different version of the familiar tragedy — one where her own daughter is the victim.
—Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024
Ken Conrad has enraptured us with one of his many stories — either about what he’s done or who he’s met or where his voice has taken him — when his boss gives him a familiar cue.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 3 Apr. 2024
Officials in New York City follow a familiar formula to determine a tax bill.
—Camille Baker, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2024
Friday night’s attacks herald a new dark chapter for Putin, one that is deeply familiar to him.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, 23 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'familiar.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Adjective and Noun
Middle English familier, from Anglo-French, from Latin familiaris, from familia — see family entry 1
First Known Use
Noun
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Adjective
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of familiar was
in the 13th century
Phrases Containing familiar
Dictionary Entries Near familiar
Cite this Entry
“Familiar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/familiar. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
familiar
1 of 2 noun
fa·mil·iar
fə-ˈmil-yər
1
: a close associate : companion
2
: a spirit believed to serve or guard a person
called also familiar spirit
familiar
2 of 2 adjective1
: closely acquainted : intimate
2
a
: informal sense 1
spoke in a familiar way
b
: too friendly or bold : forward
3
a
: frequently seen or experienced
b
: of everyday occurrence
4
: having a good knowledge
familiar with the rules
familiarly
adverb
More from Merriam-Webster on familiar
Nglish: Translation of familiar for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of familiar for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about familiar
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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