familiar

English Online Dictionary. What means familiar‎? What does familiar mean?

English

Etymology

From Latin familiāris (“pertaining to servants; pertaining to the household”). Doublet of familial. Displaced native Old English hīwcūþ.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /fəˈmɪl.i.ə/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /fəˈmɪl.jɚ/, /fəˈmɪl.i.ɚ/, /fɚˈmɪl.jɚ/

Adjective

familiar (comparative more familiar, superlative most familiar)

1. Known to one, or generally known; commonplace.

2. Acquainted.

3. Intimate or friendly.
4. Of or pertaining to a family; familial.
   • 1822, Lord Byron, Werner

Synonyms

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

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “known to one”): unfamiliar, unknown
• (antonym(s) of “acquainted”): unacquainted
• (antonym(s) of “intimate”): cold, cool, distant, impersonal, standoffish, unfriendly

Derived terms

Related terms

• familial

Translations

Noun

familiar (plural familiars)

1. (witchcraft) An attendant spirit, often in animal or demon form.
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.
5. (historical) The officer of the Inquisition who arrested suspected people.

Synonyms

• nigget

Translations

See also

• daimon (a tutelary spirit that guides a person)

Further reading

• Familiar in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911)

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin familiāris.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central) [fə.mi.liˈar]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic) [fə.mi.liˈa]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [fa.mi.liˈaɾ]

Adjective

familiar m or f (masculine and feminine plural familiars)

1. familiar
2. familial
3. family-friendly

Derived terms

• familiaritzar
• familiarment
• unifamiliar

Related terms

• familiaritat

Noun

familiar m or f by sense (plural familiars)

1. relative

Related terms

• família

Further reading

• “familiar” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “familiar”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2024
• “familiar” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “familiar” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Galician

Etymology

From Latin familiāris.

Adjective

familiar m or f (plural familiares)

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

Noun

familiar m (plural familiares)

1. relative

Synonyms

• parente
• achegado

Related terms

• familia
• familiaridade
• familiarizar

Further reading

• “familiar”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2024

Norwegian Nynorsk

Noun

familiar m

1. indefinite plural of familie

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin familiāris.

Pronunciation

Adjective

familiar m or f (plural familiares)

1. familiar (known to one)
2. (relational) family

Derived terms

• familiarmente

Related terms

• familiaridade
• familial

Noun

familiar m (plural familiares)

1. (usually in the plural) relative (person in the same family)
2. familiar (attendant spirit)

   Synonym: espírito familiar

Related terms

• família

Further reading

• “familiar”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2024

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French familier, from Latin familiaris. By surface analysis, familie +‎ -ar.

Adjective

familiar m or n (feminine singular familiară, masculine plural familiari, feminine and neuter plural familiare)

1. familiar

Declension

Related terms

• familiaritate

Spanish

Etymology

From Latin familiāris.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /famiˈljaɾ/ [fa.miˈljaɾ]
• Rhymes: -aɾ
• Syllabification: fa‧mi‧liar

Adjective

familiar m or f (masculine and feminine plural familiares)

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

Derived terms

Noun

familiar m (plural familiares)

1. relative, family member

   Synonyms: miembro de la familia, pariente

Related terms

Further reading

• “familiar”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10