familiarity

[ fuh-mil-ee-ar-i-tee, -mil-yar- ]
See synonyms for familiarity on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural fa·mil·i·ar·i·ties.
  1. thorough knowledge or mastery of a thing, subject, etc.

  2. the state of being familiar; friendly relationship; close acquaintance; intimacy.

  1. an absence of ceremony and formality; informality.

  2. freedom of behavior justified only by the closest relationship; undue intimacy.

  3. Often familiarities. an instance of such freedom, as in action or speech.

  4. a sexual liberty or impropriety.

Origin of familiarity

1
1350–1400; Middle English familiarite (<Anglo-French ) <Latin familiāritās intimacy. See familiar, -ity

Other words for familiarity

Other words from familiarity

  • o·ver·fa·mil·i·ar·i·ty, noun
  • pre·fa·mil·i·ar·i·ty, noun

Words Nearby familiarity

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use familiarity in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for familiarity

familiarity

/ (fəˌmɪlɪˈærɪtɪ) /


nounplural -ties
  1. reasonable knowledge or acquaintance, as with a subject or place

  2. close acquaintanceship or intimacy

  1. undue intimacy

  2. (sometimes plural) an instance of unwarranted intimacy

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012