unfamiliar
adjective
un·fa·mil·iar
ˌən-fə-ˈmil-yər 
: not familiar:
a
: not well-known : strange
an unfamiliar place
b
: not well acquainted
unfamiliar with the subject
Synonyms
Examples of unfamiliar in a Sentence
He gets nervous when he is in unfamiliar surroundings.
The book is full of unfamiliar words.
Recent Examples on the Web
Growers and sellers can also instruct you how to use unfamiliar seasonal produce in your meals.
—
Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 20 Apr. 2024
Yet, even with all my years of researching the Queen City’s past, a few of the names were unfamiliar to me.
—The Enquirer, 19 Apr. 2024
Scarcely knowing who this agitated person beside her was, his broad sweaty back to her, in what felt like an unfamiliar bed with a hard, unyielding mattress and a goose-feather pillow that was not at all soft, in a room whose dimensions and shadowy contours were alien to her.
—Joyce Carol Oates, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024
In addition to big stars like Peso Pluma, Young Miko, J Balvin, Ice Spice and Carin León, the festival will also feature a slew of up-and-coming Latin acts ready to impress attendees unfamiliar with them.
—Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
More broadly, the CHIPS Act may presage a new era for a range of companies, pushing them into an unfamiliar, geopolitical role.
—Geoff Colvin, Fortune, 8 Apr. 2024
Scott is at his most captivating in long, solo scenes of Tom grimacing with the effort of dragging suitcases around unfamiliar cities or cleaning up after his impulsive murders.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 4 Apr. 2024
Restrict your plant palette Avoid impulsively buying a random assortment of pretty but unfamiliar plants.
—Karen Hugg, Washington Post, 8 Apr. 2024
The infusion of rap and hip-hop with country isn’t unfamiliar to country listeners, Hughes said.
—Leah Asmelash, CNN, 5 Apr. 2024
Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 20 Apr. 2024
Yet, even with all my years of researching the Queen City’s past, a few of the names were unfamiliar to me.
—The Enquirer, 19 Apr. 2024
Scarcely knowing who this agitated person beside her was, his broad sweaty back to her, in what felt like an unfamiliar bed with a hard, unyielding mattress and a goose-feather pillow that was not at all soft, in a room whose dimensions and shadowy contours were alien to her.
—Joyce Carol Oates, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024
In addition to big stars like Peso Pluma, Young Miko, J Balvin, Ice Spice and Carin León, the festival will also feature a slew of up-and-coming Latin acts ready to impress attendees unfamiliar with them.
—Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
More broadly, the CHIPS Act may presage a new era for a range of companies, pushing them into an unfamiliar, geopolitical role.
—Geoff Colvin, Fortune, 8 Apr. 2024
Scott is at his most captivating in long, solo scenes of Tom grimacing with the effort of dragging suitcases around unfamiliar cities or cleaning up after his impulsive murders.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 4 Apr. 2024
Restrict your plant palette Avoid impulsively buying a random assortment of pretty but unfamiliar plants.
—Karen Hugg, Washington Post, 8 Apr. 2024
The infusion of rap and hip-hop with country isn’t unfamiliar to country listeners, Hughes said.
—Leah Asmelash, CNN, 5 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unfamiliar.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near unfamiliar
Cite this Entry
“Unfamiliar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unfamiliar. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
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