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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

familiar en · ADJ

Pronunciation

  • /fəˈmɪl.i.əɹ/ (General-American)
  • (US) audio
  • /fəˈmɪl.i.ə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • /fəɹˈmɪl.jəɹ/ (General-American, nonstandard)
  • /fəˈmɪl.jəɹ/ (General-American)

Etymology

From Middle English familiar, familier, from Latin familiāris (“pertaining to servants; pertaining to the household”). By surface analysis, family + -ar. Piecewise doublet of familial. Displaced native Old English hīwcūþ.

Meanings

  1. Known to one, or generally known; commonplace.
    • Plastics are energy-rich substances, which is why many of them burn so readily. Any organism that could unlock and use that energy would do well in the Anthropocene. Terrestrial bacteria and fungi which can manage this trick are already familiar to experts in the field. 2013 July 20, “Welcome to the plastisphere”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8845:
    • There’s a familiar face; that tune sounds familiar.
    • The story struck the depressingly familiar note with which true stories ring in the tried ears of experienced policemen. No one queried it. It was in the classic pattern of human weakness, mean and embarrassing and sad. 1963, Margery Allingham, “Eye Witness”, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC, page 249:
  2. Acquainted.
    • I'm quite familiar with this system; she's not familiar with manual gears.
  3. Intimate or friendly.
    • Don’t be familiar with me, boy!
    • We are on familiar terms now; our neighbour is not familiar
    • Be thou familiar; but by no meanes vulgar:[…] c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii], page 156, column 1:
  4. Of or pertaining to a family; familial.
    • 1822, Lord Byron, Werner familiar feuds

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
more familiar Degree=Cmp lexicographic
most familiar Degree=Sup lexicographic

Antonyms

unknown (antonym(s) of “known to one”) · strange · unfamiliar (antonym(s) of “known to one”) · standoffish (antonym(s) of “intimate”) · cold (antonym(s) of “intimate”) · impersonal (antonym(s) of “intimate”) · unfriendly (antonym(s) of “intimate”) · distant (antonym(s) of “intimate”) · unacquainted (antonym(s) of “acquainted”) · unpredictable · cool (antonym(s) of “intimate”) · ignorant (antonym(s) of “known to one”) · unwonted · unaccustomed

Deriveds

confamiliar · familiarity · familiarly · semifamiliar · hyperfamiliar · familiar fraud · familiarisation · familiarise · nonfamiliar · ultrafamiliar · familiarization · familiarness · familiarism · familiarize · familiar stranger · overfamiliar · on familiar ground

Hypernyms

normal · common · customary · regular · everyday

Relateds

believed · accepted · approved · familial · recognized

Synonyms

fresh (inappropriately intimate or friendly) · cheeky (inappropriately intimate or friendly) · routine · habitual · wonted · close (friendly) · impudent (inappropriately intimate or friendly) · personal (friendly) · wontish · accustomed · familiar · intimate (friendly) · acquainted (acquainted) · predictable · friendly (friendly) · known

Translations (122)

el οικείος (known to one) · ar مَأْلُوف (known to one) · la suētus (acquainted) · sh upoznat (known to one) · bg изве́стен (known to one) · uk відо́мий (known to one) · th เป็นมิตร (intimate or friendly) · lad conocido (known to one) · sl znan (known to one) · mr ओळखीचे (known to one) · io familiara (known to one) · ru знако́мый (acquainted) · uk знайо́мий (known to one) · fi tuttu (acquainted) · kmr nêz (intimate or friendly) · grc γνώριμος (known to one) · nl bekend (known to one) · id akrab (intimate or friendly) · da fortrolig (acquainted) · id familier (intimate or friendly) · pt próximo (intimate or friendly) · da bekendt (acquainted) · fi läheinen (intimate or friendly) · bho परिचित (known to one) · pl znajomy (known to one) · it familiare (intimate or friendly) · fi tuttavallinen (intimate or friendly) · cmn 熟悉 (acquainted) · mi rata (intimate or friendly) · el εξοικειωμένος (acquainted) · ru изве́стный (known to one) · kmr pispor (acquainted) · cmn 熟悉 (intimate or friendly) · kmr aşna (acquainted) · ga eolas a bheith agat ar (acquainted) · ml പരിചിതം (known to one) · pl znany (known to one) · it familiare (known to one) · es familiar (known to one) · ml പരിചയമുള്ള (known to one) · fr familier (known to one) · pl znajomy (acquainted) · ckb شارەزا (acquainted) · cs známý (known to one) · mi waia (acquainted) · pl familiarny (intimate or friendly) · bg инти́мен (intimate or friendly) · ga aithnidiúil (acquainted) · sk známy (known to one) · fa آشنا (acquainted) · pt familiar (known to one) · pl bliski (intimate or friendly) · tl mahilway (inappropriately intimate or friendly) · fi tuttu (known to one) · ru знако́мый (known to one) · eo trofamiliara (inappropriately intimate or friendly) · tl pamilyar (known to one) · sv bekant (known to one) · uk близьки́й (intimate or friendly) · cmn 熟悉 (known to one) · mr परिचित (known to one) · hy ծանոթ (known to one) · kmr şareza (acquainted) · el γνώριμος (known to one) · ca familiar (intimate or friendly) · bg позна́т (known to one) · uk фамілья́рний (inappropriately intimate or friendly) · nrf fanmilyi (intimate or friendly) · el οικείος (intimate or friendly) · eo konata (known to one) · pl poufały (inappropriately intimate or friendly) · kmr nêzîk (intimate or friendly) · ga aithnidiúil (known to one) · hy մտերիմ (intimate or friendly) · bg бли́зък (intimate or friendly) · nl familiair (inappropriately intimate or friendly) · mr ओळखीचा (known to one) · to maheni (known to one) · el φιλικός (known to one) · bg фамилиа́рен (inappropriately intimate or friendly) · hi परिचित (known to one) · fa آشنا (known to one) · nrf fanmilyi (known to one) · hi परिचित (intimate or friendly) · pt conhecido (acquainted) · el γνωστός (known to one) · nl vertrouwd (intimate or friendly) · nb kjent (acquainted) · el φιλικός (intimate or friendly) · sl poznan (known to one) · sh упознат (known to one) · be знаёмы (known to one) · ru бли́зкий (intimate or friendly) · ru фамилья́рный (inappropriately intimate or friendly) · de bekannt (known to one) · tl mahilway (intimate or friendly) · kmr zana (acquainted) · ru инти́мный (intimate or friendly) · bg позна́т (acquainted) · kmr niyas (known to one) · fr familier (intimate or friendly) · ko 알려진 (known to one) · pl nieobcy (known to one) · ba таныш (known to one) · he מֻכָּר (known to one) · da bekendt (known to one) · nl vertrouwd (acquainted) · ro familiar (known to one) · fi liian tuttavallinen (inappropriately intimate or friendly) · mr ओळखीची (known to one) · ca familiar (known to one) · ka ნაცნობი (known to one) · kmr nas (known to one) · eo familiara (intimate or friendly) · hy ծանոթ (acquainted) · mk познат (known to one) · uk знайо́мий (acquainted) · uk інти́мний (intimate or friendly) · ja おなじみの (known to one) · hu ismerős (known to one) · pl poufały (intimate or friendly) · hi परिचित (acquainted)

familiar en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • /fəˈmɪl.i.əɹ/ (General-American)
  • (US) audio
  • /fəˈmɪl.i.ə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • /fəɹˈmɪl.jəɹ/ (General-American, nonstandard)
  • /fəˈmɪl.jəɹ/ (General-American)

Etymology

From Middle English familiar, familier, from Latin familiāris (“pertaining to servants; pertaining to the household”). By surface analysis, family + -ar. Piecewise doublet of familial. Displaced native Old English hīwcūþ.

Meanings

  1. An attendant spirit, often in animal or demon form.
    • The familiars of the magicians, on the other hand, were not in all cases evil, and often may have approximated the "guides" with whom present-day spiritualists are well acquainted. 1936, Rollo Ahmed, The Black Art, London: Long, page 75:
    • "What power hath gold?" Catweazle wondered as he picked up his familiar and put him in his special pocket. 1971, Richard Carpenter, Catweazle and the Magic Zodiac, Harmondsworth: Puffin Books, page 8:
    • The witch’s familiar was a black cat.
  2. (obsolete) A member of one's family or household.
  3. A member of a pope's or bishop's household.
  4. (obsolete) A close friend.
    • [A] friend of mine, that finding a Receipt in Braſsivola, would needs take Hellebor in ſubſtance, & try it on his own perſon; but had not ſome of his familiars come to viſite him by chance, he had by his indiſcretion hazarded himſelfe; many ſuch I have obſerued. 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], “Concerning the Patient”, in The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition 2, section 1, member 4, subsection 3, page 199:
  5. (historical) The officer of the Inquisition who arrested suspected people.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
familiars Number=Plur lexicographic

Relateds

daimon

Synonyms

nigget

Translations (27)

es familiar (attendant spirit) · ja 使い魔 (attendant spirit) · nl geleidegeest (attendant spirit) · vi sứ ma (attendant spirit) · it famiglio (attendant spirit) · ro familiar (attendant spirit) · fr esprit familier (attendant spirit) · ny ndondocha (attendant spirit) · it spirito famigliare (attendant spirit) · cmn 使魔 (attendant spirit) · fi apuolento (attendant spirit) · pl chowaniec (attendant spirit) · fr familier (attendant spirit) · hy ֆամիլյար (attendant spirit) · uk фамільяр (attendant spirit) · ru фамилья́р (attendant spirit) · sv husande (attendant spirit) · sh duh zaštitnik (attendant spirit) · fi apuhenki (attendant spirit) · es espíritu familiar (attendant spirit) · ko 사역마 (attendant spirit) · pt espírito familiar (attendant spirit) · nl geleidedier (attendant spirit) · ro spirit familiar (attendant spirit) · el δαιμόνια (attendant spirit) · sh familijar (attendant spirit) · pt familiar (attendant spirit)