verb · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
/fəˈmɪliəɹaɪ̯z/
/fəˈmɪljəɹaɪ̯z/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:F AH0 M IH1 L Y ER0 AY2 Z
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
verb
Meaning 1
To make or become familiar with something or someone.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
I took some time to familiarize myself with the layout of her kitchen before I got to cooking for her.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
verb
Meaning 2
make familiar or conversant with
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
you should acquaint yourself with your new computer
We familiarized ourselves with the new surroundings
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: familiarise, acquaint
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: inform
Narrower terms: orient, verse, reacquaint, get into
History
Etymology
Etymology tree English familiar Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íďďō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō)bor. Late Latin -izōder. Middle French -iserbor. Middle English -isen English -ize English familiarize From familiar + -ize.
Across languages
Translations
35 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
запознавам
(zapoznavam)
— make or become familiar with something or someone
Bulgarian:
популяризирам
(populjariziram)
— make or become familiar with something or someone
Catalan:
familiaritzar
— make or become familiar with something or someone
Chinese Mandarin:
使熟悉
(shǐ shúxī)
— make or become familiar with something or someone
Finnish:
tutustuttaa
— make or become familiar with something or someone
Finnish:
perehdyttää
— make or become familiar with something or someone
Finnish:
totuttaa
— make or become familiar with something or someone
Finnish:
tutustua
— make or become familiar with something or someone
Finnish:
perehtyä
— make or become familiar with something or someone
Finnish:
tottua
— make or become familiar with something or someone
French:
familiariser
— make or become familiar with something or someone
Galician:
familiarizar
— make or become familiar with something or someone
German:
sich bekanntmachen
— make or become familiar with something or someone
Greek:
εξοικειώνω
(exoikeióno)
— make or become familiar with something or someone
Hindi:
अवगत कराना
(avgat karānā)
— make or become familiar with something or someone
Ido:
familiigar
— make or become familiar with something or someone
Ingrian:
aatuttaa
— make or become familiar with something or someone
Italian:
familiarizzare
— make or become familiar with something or someone
Malayalam:
പരിചയപ്പെടുക
(paricayappeṭuka)
— make or become familiar with something or someone
Malayalam:
പരിചയപ്പെടുത്തുക
(paricayappeṭuttuka)
— make or become familiar with something or someone
Māori:
whakawaia
— make or become familiar with something or someone
Occitan:
familiarizar
— make or become familiar with something or someone
Old English:
ġehīwcūþlīcian
— make or become familiar with something or someone
Portuguese:
familiarizar
— make or become familiar with something or someone
Russian:
знако́миться
(znakómitʹsja)
— make or become familiar with something or someone
Russian:
познако́миться
(poznakómitʹsja)
— make or become familiar with something or someone
Russian:
ознако́миться
(oznakómitʹsja)
— make or become familiar with something or someone
Russian:
знако́мить
(znakómitʹ)
— make or become familiar with something or someone
Russian:
познако́мить
(poznakómitʹ)
— make or become familiar with something or someone
Russian:
ознако́мить
(oznakómitʹ)
— make or become familiar with something or someone
Spanish:
familiarizar
— make or become familiar with something or someone
Ukrainian:
знайо́мити
(znajómyty)
— make or become familiar with something or someone
Ukrainian:
познайо́мити
(poznajómyty)
— make or become familiar with something or someone
Ukrainian:
ознайо́млювати
(oznajómljuvaty)
— make or become familiar with something or someone
Ukrainian:
ознайо́мити
(oznajómyty)
— make or become familiar with something or someone