familiar

See also: familiär

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/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Adjective

familiar (comparative more familiar, superlative most familiar)

1. Known to one, or generally known; commonplace.
   • 1963, Margery Allingham, “Eye Witness”, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC, page 249:

     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.

   • 2013 July 20, “Welcome to the plastisphere”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8845:

     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.

   There’s a familiar face; that tune sounds familiar.

2. Acquainted.

   I'm quite familiar with this system; she's not familiar with manual gears.

3. Intimate or friendly.

   We are on familiar terms now; our neighbour is not familiar

   Don’t be familiar with me, boy!

   • 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:

     Be thou familiar; but by no meanes vulgar: […]

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

     familiar feuds

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

• familiar fraud
• familiarity
• familiarly
• familiar stranger
• on familiar ground
• overfamiliar

 

Related terms

• familial

Translations

known to one

• Arabic: مَأْلُوف (maʔlūf)
• Armenian: ծանոթ (hy) (canotʻ)
• Bashkir: таныш (tanış)
• Belarusian: знаёмы (znajómy)
• Bulgarian: позна́т (bg) (poznát), изве́стен (bg) (izvésten)
• Catalan: familiar (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 熟悉 (zh) (shúxī, shóuxī)

• Czech: známý (cs)
• Danish: bekendt (da)
• Dutch: bekend (nl)
• Esperanto: konata (eo)
• Finnish: tuttu (fi)
• French: familier (fr)
• Georgian: ნაცნობი (nacnobi)
• German: bekannt (de)
• Greek: οικείος (el) (oikeíos), γνωστός (el) (gnostós), γνώριμος (el) (gnórimos), φιλικός (el) (filikós)

  Ancient: γνώριμος (gnṓrimos)

• Hebrew: מֻכָּר (he) m (mukkár)
• Hungarian: ismerős (hu)
• Ido: familiara (io)
• Irish: aithnidiúil
• Italian: familiare (it)
• Japanese: おなじみの (o-najimi no)
• Korean: 알려진 (ko) (allyeojin)
• Kurdish:

  Northern Kurdish: nas (ku), niyas (ku)

• Ladino: conocido
• Macedonian: познат (poznat)
• Malayalam: പരിചയമുള്ള (paricayamuḷḷa), പരിചിതം (paricitaṁ)
• Marathi: परिचित (paricit), ओळखीचे n (oḷkhīce), ओळखीची f (oḷkhīcī), ओळखीचा m (oḷkhīcā)
• Norman: fanmilyi
• Persian: آشنا (fa) (âšnâ, âšenâ)
• Polish: znany (pl), znajomy (pl), nieobcy
• Portuguese: familiar (pt)
• Romanian: familiar (ro)
• Russian: знако́мый (ru) (znakómyj), изве́стный (ru) (izvéstnyj)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: упознат

  Roman: upoznat

• Slovak: známy (sk)
• Slovene: znan (sl), poznan
• Spanish: familiar (es)
• Swedish: bekant (sv)
• Tagalog: pamilyar
• Ukrainian: знайо́мий (znajómyj), відо́мий (vidómyj)

acquainted

• Armenian: ծանոթ (hy) (canotʻ)
• Bulgarian: позна́т (bg) (poznát)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 熟悉 (zh) (shúxī, shóuxī)

• Danish: fortrolig, bekendt (da)
• Dutch: vertrouwd (nl)
• Finnish: tuttu (fi)
• Greek: εξοικειωμένος (el) (exoikeioménos)
• Irish: eolas a bheith agat ar (be familiar with), aithnidiúil
• Kurdish:

  Central Kurdish: شارەزا (ckb) (şareza)

  Northern Kurdish: aşna (ku), şareza (ku), pispor (ku), zana (ku)

• Latin: suētus
• Maori: waia
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: kjent (no)

• Persian: آشنا (fa) (âšnâ, âšenâ)
• Polish: znajomy (pl)
• Portuguese: conhecido (pt)
• Russian: знако́мый (ru) (znakómyj)
• Ukrainian: знайо́мий (znajómyj)

intimate or friendly

• Armenian: մտերիմ (hy) (mterim)
• Bulgarian: бли́зък (bg) (blízǎk), инти́мен (bg) (intímen)
• Catalan: familiar (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 熟悉 (zh) (shúxī, shóuxī)

• Dutch: vertrouwd (nl)
• Esperanto: familiara (eo)
• Finnish: läheinen (fi), tuttavallinen (fi)
• French: familier (fr)
• Greek: οικείος (el) (oikeíos), φιλικός (el) (filikós)
• Indonesian: familier (id), akrab (id)
• Italian: familiare (it)
• Kurdish:

  Northern Kurdish: nêz (ku), nêzîk (ku)

• Maori: rata (mi)
• Norman: fanmilyi
• Polish: bliski (pl), poufały (pl), familiarny (pl)
• Portuguese: próximo (pt)
• Russian: бли́зкий (ru) (blízkij), инти́мный (ru) (intímnyj)
• Tagalog: mahilway
• Thai: เป็นมิตร (bpen-mít)
• Ukrainian: близьки́й (uk) (blyzʹkýj), інти́мний (intýmnyj)

inappropriately intimate or friendly

• Bulgarian: фамилиа́рен (bg) (familiáren)
• Dutch: familiair (nl)
• Esperanto: trofamiliara
• Finnish: liian tuttavallinen
• Polish: poufały (pl)
• Russian: фамилья́рный (ru) (familʹjárnyj)
• Tagalog: mahilway
• Ukrainian: фамілья́рний (familʹjárnyj)

Noun

familiar (plural familiars)

1. (witchcraft) An attendant spirit, often in animal or demon form.

   The witch’s familiar was a black cat.

   • 1936, Rollo Ahmed, The Black Art, London: Long, page 75:

     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.

   • 1971, Richard Carpenter, Catweazle and the Magic Zodiac, Harmondsworth: Puffin Books, page 8:

     "What power hath gold?" Catweazle wondered as he picked up his familiar and put him in his special pocket.

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.
   • 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], “Concerning the Patient”, in The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Printed by John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition 2, section 1, member 4, subsection 3, page 199:

     [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.

5. (historical) The officer of the Inquisition who arrested suspected people.

Synonyms

• nigget

Translations

attendant spirit

• Armenian: ֆամիլյար (hy) (familyar)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 使魔 (shǐmó)

• Dutch: geleidegeest m, geleidedier n
• Finnish: apuolento, apuhenki
• French: esprit familier m, familier (fr) m
• Greek: δαιμόνια (el) (daimónia)
• Italian: spirito famigliare m, famiglio (it) m
• Japanese: 使い魔 (つかいま, tsukaima)
• Korean: 사역마 (sayeongma)
• Polish: chowaniec (pl) m
• Portuguese: espírito familiar m, familiar (pt)
• Romanian: spirit familiar, familiar (ro)
• Russian: фамилья́р (ru) m (familʹjár)
• Serbo-Croatian: duh zaštitnik, familijar (sh)
• Spanish: espíritu familiar m, familiar (es)
• Swedish: husande (sv) c
• Ukrainian: фамільяр (familʹjar)
• Vietnamese: sứ ma

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): (Valencian) [fa.mi.liˈaɾ]

Adjective

familiar m or f (masculine and feminine plural familiars)

1. familiar
2. familial
3. family-friendly

   pel·lícules familiars

   family movies

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, Royal Galician Academy.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Noun

familiar m

1. indefinite plural of familie

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin familiāris.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /fa.mi.liˈaʁ/ [fa.mi.lɪˈah], (faster pronunciation) /fa.miˈljaʁ/ [fa.miˈljah]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /fa.mi.liˈaʁ/ [fa.mi.lɪˈah], (faster pronunciation) /fa.miˈljaʁ/ [fa.miˈljah]
  • (São Paulo) IPA^(key): /fa.mi.liˈaɾ/ [fa.mi.lɪˈaɾ], (faster pronunciation) /fa.miˈljaɾ/
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /fa.mi.liˈaʁ/ [fa.mi.lɪˈaχ], (faster pronunciation) /fa.miˈljaʁ/ [fa.miˈljaχ]
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /fa.mi.liˈaɻ/ [fa.mi.lɪˈaɻ], (faster pronunciation) /fa.miˈljaɻ/

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /fɐ.miˈljaɾ/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /fɐ.miˈljaɾ/
  • (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /fɐ.miˈlja.ɾi/

Adjective

familiar m or f (plural familiares)

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

Derived terms

• familiarmente

Related terms

• familiaridade

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.

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

Declension of familiar

		singular			plural
		masculine	neuter	feminine	masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative/ accusative	indefinite	familiar		familiară	familiari	familiare
	definite	familiarul		familiara	familiarii	familiarele
genitive/ dative	indefinite	familiar		familiare	familiari	familiare
	definite	familiarului		familiarei	familiarilor	familiarelor

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

• agregado familiar
• derecho familiar
• familiarmente
• núcleo familiar
• orientación familiar
• planificación familiar
• reunión familiar

 

Noun

familiar m (plural familiares)

1. relative, family member

   Synonyms: miembro de la familia, pariente

Related terms

• familia
• familiaridad
• familiarizar

 

Further reading

• “familiar”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014