familiar

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

Synonyms

Antonyms

Derived terms

Translations

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: John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition 2, section 1, member 4, subsection 3, page 199:
      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

Translations

See also

Further reading

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin familiāris.

Pronunciation

Adjective

familiar m or f (masculine and feminine plural familiars)

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

Derived terms

Noun

familiar m or f by sense (plural familiars)

  1. relative

Further reading

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

Further reading

Norwegian Nynorsk

Noun

familiar m

  1. indefinite plural of familie

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin familiāris.

Pronunciation

 
  • (Brazil) IPA(key): /fa.mi.liˈaʁ/ , (faster pronunciation) /fa.miˈljaʁ/
    • (São Paulo) IPA(key): /fa.mi.liˈaɾ/ , (faster pronunciation) /fa.miˈljaɾ/
    • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA(key): /fa.mi.liˈaʁ/ , (faster pronunciation) /fa.miˈljaʁ/
    • (Southern Brazil) IPA(key): /fa.mi.liˈaɻ/ , (faster pronunciation) /fa.miˈljaɻ/
 

Adjective

familiar m or f (plural familiares)

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

Derived terms

Noun

familiar m (plural familiares)

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

Further reading

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

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

Spanish

Etymology

From Latin familiāris.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /famiˈljaɾ/
  • 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
  4. family-friendly

Derived terms

Noun

familiar m (plural familiares)

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

Further reading