familiar

English

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /fəˈmɪl.i.ə/, SAMPA: /fV"mIli3r\/, /f@"mI.li.@(r\)/
• (US) IPA: /fəˈmɪl.jɚ/, /fəˈmɪl.i.ɚ/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Adjective

familiar (comparative more familiar, superlative most familiar)

1. Known to one.

   There’s a familiar face.

2. Acquainted.

   I'm not familiar with this system.

3. Intimate or friendly.

   We are not on familiar terms.

4. Inappropriately intimate or friendly.

   Don’t be familiar with me, boy!

5. Of or pertaining to a family; familial.

Synonyms

• (acquainted): acquainted
• (intimate, friendly): close, friendly, intimate, personal
• (inappropriately intimate or friendly): cheeky, fresh, impudent

Antonyms

• (known to one): unfamiliar, unknown
• (acquainted): unacquainted
• (intimate): cold, cool, distant, impersonal, standoffish, unfriendly

Derived terms

• overfamiliar
• familiarity
• familiarly

Translations

known to one

Armenian: ծանոթ (hy) (çanot') Catalan: familiar (ca) Chinese: Mandarin: 熟悉 (zh) (shúxī) Danish: bekendt (da) Dutch: bekend (nl) Finnish: tuttu (fi) French: familier (fr)

Greek: οικείος (el) (oikeíos) m., γνωστός (el) (gnostós) m., γνώριμος (el) (gnórimos) m., φιλικός (el) (filikós) m. Italian: familiare (it) Kurdish: nas (ku), niyas (ku) Persian: آشنا (fa) (āšenā) Polish: znany (pl) Russian: знакомый (ru) (znakómyj)

acquainted

Armenian: ծանոթ (hy) (çanot') Chinese: Mandarin: 熟悉 (zh) (shúxī) Dutch: vertrouwd (nl) Finnish: tuttu (fi) Greek: εξοικειωμένος (el) (eksoikeioménos) m.

Kurdish: Kurmanji: aşna, şareza, pispor, zana Sorani: شاره‌زا (ku) (shArazA) Persian: آشنا (fa) (āšenā) Russian: знакомый (ru) (znakómyj)

intimate or friendly

Armenian: մտերիմ (hy) (mterim) Catalan: familiar (ca) Chinese: Mandarin: 熟悉 (zh) (shúxī) Dutch: vertrouwd (nl) Finnish: läheinen (fi), tuttavallinen (fi)

French: familier (fr) Greek: οικείος (el) (oikeíos) m., φιλικός (el) (filikós) m. Italian: familiare (it) Kurdish: nêz (ku), nêzîk (ku) Polish: bliski (pl) Russian: близкий (ru) (blízkij), интимный (ru) (intímnyj)

inappropriately intimate or friendly

Dutch: familiair (nl) Finnish: liian tuttavallinen

Polish: poufały (pl) Russian: фамильярный (ru) (famil'járnyj)

Noun

familiar (plural familiars)

1. (obsolete) A member of one's family or household.
2. (obsolete) A close friend.
   • 1621, Robert Burton, The Anatomy of Melancholy, II.i.4.2:

     a friend of mine, that finding a receipt in Brassavola, would needs take hellebore in substance, and try it on his own person; but had not some of his familiars come to visit him by chance, he had by his indiscretion hazarded himself; many such I have observed.

3. An attendant spirit often in animal form.

   The witch’s familiar was a black cat.

Translations

attendant spirit

Croatian: duh zaštitnik (hr) Finnish: apuolento (fi), apuhenki (fi) Italian: famiglio (it) m. Japanese: 使い魔 (ja) (つかいま, tsukaima)

Polish: chowaniec (pl) Portuguese: espírito familiar (pt) m., familiar (pt) Spanish: espíritu familiar (es) m., familiar (es)

---

Catalan

Adjective

familiar m. and f. (plural familiars)

1. familiar

Noun

familiar m. and f. (plural familiars)

1. relative

---

Galician

Noun

familiar m. and f. (plural familiares)

1. familiar (as opposed to formal)

---

Norwegian Nynorsk

Noun

familiar m.

1. plural indefinite of familie

---

Spanish

Adjective

familiar m. and f. (plural familiares)

1. of family
2. close, familiar
3. daily, plain

Noun

familiar m. and f. (plural familiares)

1. relative

Related terms

• familia
• familiaridad
• familiarizar