adjective
familiar
fuh-MIHL-ee-uh
adjective
1
Well known to you, or easy to recognise.
"That tune sounds familiar, but I can't place it."
"She felt a familiar sense of dread before the exam."
2
Having good knowledge of something through experience.
"He's familiar with the local traffic laws."
noun
1
A spirit believed to serve or accompany a witch, often in animal form.
"In the story, the witch's black cat was her familiar."
How to Use Familiar
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSomething you recognise or know well, or (as a noun) a witch's magical animal companion.
Common mistake
Familiar WITH something, not familiar TO something, when talking about knowledge ("familiar with the rules").
Common pairings
familiar face
familiar with
sound familiar
Word Forms
more familiar comparative, familiars plural, most familiar superlative
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That tune sounds _____, but I can't place it.
Etymology
From Latin familiaris, "of the household" — originally describing someone as close as family.