Wiktionary

familiar

See also: familiär

English

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Etymology

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

Pronunciation

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

Adjective

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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!
  4. Of or pertaining to a family; familial.

Synonyms

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Antonyms

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Derived terms

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Translations

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Noun

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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: […] 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

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Translations

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See also

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Further reading

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Catalan

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Etymology

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Borrowed from Latin familiāris.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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familiar m or f (masculine and feminine plural familiars)

  1. familiar
  2. familial
  3. family-friendly
    pel·lícules familiars
    family movies

Derived terms

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Noun

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familiar m or f by sense (plural familiars)

  1. relative
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Further reading

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Galician

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Etymology

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From Latin familiāris.

Adjective

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familiar m or f (plural familiares)

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

Noun

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familiar m (plural familiares)

  1. relative

Synonyms

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Further reading

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Norwegian Nynorsk

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Noun

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familiar m

  1. indefinite plural of familie

Portuguese

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Etymology

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Borrowed from Latin familiāris.

Pronunciation

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  • (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/
 

Adjective

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familiar m or f (plural familiares)

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

Derived terms

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Noun

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familiar m (plural familiares)

  1. (usually in the plural) relative (person in the same family)
  2. familiar (attendant spirit)
    Synonym: espírito familiar
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Further reading

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Romanian

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Etymology

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

Adjective

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

  1. familiar

Declension

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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
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Spanish

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Etymology

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From Latin familiāris.

Pronunciation

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

Adjective

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familiar m or f (masculine and feminine plural familiares)

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

Derived terms

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Noun

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familiar m (plural familiares)

  1. relative, family member
    Synonyms: miembro de la familia, pariente
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Further reading

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