Familiar
adjective
Known from past experience, or already seen or recognized.
Her face looks familiar.
Often appears as...
- looks familiar
- sounds familiar
adjective
Friendly, like a close friend or family member.
He has a familiar manner.
Often appears as...
- familiar manner
- familiar voice
noun
In folklore, a supernatural being that helps and supports a witch or other person.
Every witch has her own familiar.
Usage tips
Literary
adjective
Common or usual.
It's a familiar sight in this city.
Often appears as...
- familiar sight
- familiar situation
adjective
Unduly relaxed, showing no respect.
His familiar behavior with his boss got him in trouble.
Often appears as...
- familiar behavior
- familiar attitude
adjective
Known from past experience, or already seen or recognized.
Her face looks familiar.
Often appears as...
- looks familiar
- sounds familiar
adjective
Friendly, like a close friend or family member.
He has a familiar manner.
Often appears as...
- familiar manner
- familiar voice
noun
In folklore, a supernatural being that helps and supports a witch or other person.
Every witch has her own familiar.
Usage tips
Literary
adjective
Common or usual.
It's a familiar sight in this city.
Often appears as...
- familiar sight
- familiar situation
adjective
Unduly relaxed, showing no respect.
His familiar behavior with his boss got him in trouble.
Often appears as...
- familiar behavior
- familiar attitude
Definition 1 of 5
Pro Tip 1/2Experience Reinforcement
Think of 'familiar' to highlight personal experiences when you've encountered something before.
The streets of my hometown are familiar to me.
Pro Tip 2/2Recognition Cue
'Familiar' is often used to express a feeling of vague recognition, even if details are forgotten.
His voice is familiar, but I can't remember his name.
Pro Tip 1/2Experience Reinforcement
Think of 'familiar' to highlight personal experiences when you've encountered something before.
The streets of my hometown are familiar to me.
Pro Tip 2/2Recognition Cue
'Familiar' is often used to express a feeling of vague recognition, even if details are forgotten.
His voice is familiar, but I can't remember his name.
Pro Tip 1/2Experience Reinforcement
Think of 'familiar' to highlight personal experiences when you've encountered something before.
The streets of my hometown are familiar to me.
Pro Tip 2/2Recognition Cue
'Familiar' is often used to express a feeling of vague recognition, even if details are forgotten.
His voice is familiar, but I can't remember his name.
Never forget "Familiar"
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Video examples
Bring on the learning...
Now, doing this is easier said than done. It's very hard to know, by the way, what it is you take for granted. And the reason is that you take it for granted. Let me ask you something you may take for granted. How many of you here are over the age of 25? That's not what you take for granted, I'm sure you're familiar with that.
Video examples
Why is Vermeer's "Girl...
Wishing to be represented in the paintings they financed, these merchants preferred middle class subjects depicted in spaces that looked like their own homes surrounded by familiar objects. The maps that appear in Vermeer's paintings, for example, were considered fashionable and worldly
Video examples
The wars that inspired...
but it was shaken by a power struggle between two noble families spanning generations and involving a massive cast of characters with complex motives and shifting loyalties. If that sounds familiar, it's because the historical conflicts known as the Wars of the Roses
Video examples
The psychology of...
grandiose and vulnerable narcissism. There's also narcissistic personality disorder, a more extreme form, which we'll return to shortly. Grandiose narcissism is the most familiar kind, characterized by extroversion, dominance, and attention seeking.
Video examples
What makes a hero? -...
The journey begins and ends in a hero's ordinary world, but the quest passes through an unfamiliar, special world. Along the way, there are some key events. Think about your favorite book or movie. Does it follow this pattern?
Video examples
Plato’s Allegory of the...
even if it costs you your friends and family, or stick with comfortable and familiar illusions? Truth or habit? Light or shadow? Hard choices, but if it's any consolation, you're not alone. There are lots of us down here.
Video examples
How to deal with...
term I'm very familiar with people are perhaps confused with how to manage and cope with the situation now for I can help when I was in my mid-thirties I had a meeting with my editor and it was my
Video examples
Mexican Witchcraft PIPE...
purses fly powered by wing of bat and tongue of pig witches bind hexes and black ribbon ready for burial and a human braid curses like these are all too familiar to doctor zabaleta as part
Video examples
Chimpanzee Cannibalism PIPE...
An unfamiliar chimp call raises the tension. It's an uncertain time. The size of the rival group is as yet unknown.
Video examples
Why should you listen to...
Light, bright, and cheerful. It's some of the most familiar of all early 18th century music.
Video examples
Bring on the learning...
Now, doing this is easier said than done. It's very hard to know, by the way, what it is you take for granted. And the reason is that you take it for granted. Let me ask you something you may take for granted. How many of you here are over the age of 25? That's not what you take for granted, I'm sure you're familiar with that.
Video examples
Why is Vermeer's "Girl...
Wishing to be represented in the paintings they financed, these merchants preferred middle class subjects depicted in spaces that looked like their own homes surrounded by familiar objects. The maps that appear in Vermeer's paintings, for example, were considered fashionable and worldly
Video examples
The wars that inspired...
but it was shaken by a power struggle between two noble families spanning generations and involving a massive cast of characters with complex motives and shifting loyalties. If that sounds familiar, it's because the historical conflicts known as the Wars of the Roses
Video examples
The psychology of...
grandiose and vulnerable narcissism. There's also narcissistic personality disorder, a more extreme form, which we'll return to shortly. Grandiose narcissism is the most familiar kind, characterized by extroversion, dominance, and attention seeking.
Video examples
What makes a hero? -...
The journey begins and ends in a hero's ordinary world, but the quest passes through an unfamiliar, special world. Along the way, there are some key events. Think about your favorite book or movie. Does it follow this pattern?
Video examples
Plato’s Allegory of the...
even if it costs you your friends and family, or stick with comfortable and familiar illusions? Truth or habit? Light or shadow? Hard choices, but if it's any consolation, you're not alone. There are lots of us down here.
Video examples
How to deal with...
term I'm very familiar with people are perhaps confused with how to manage and cope with the situation now for I can help when I was in my mid-thirties I had a meeting with my editor and it was my
Video examples
Mexican Witchcraft PIPE...
purses fly powered by wing of bat and tongue of pig witches bind hexes and black ribbon ready for burial and a human braid curses like these are all too familiar to doctor zabaleta as part
Video examples
Chimpanzee Cannibalism PIPE...
An unfamiliar chimp call raises the tension. It's an uncertain time. The size of the rival group is as yet unknown.
Video examples
Why should you listen to...
Light, bright, and cheerful. It's some of the most familiar of all early 18th century music.
Example 1 of 10
Quote examples
Johnny Depp
American Actor
Things go wrong for me all the time with technology. I'm not familiar enough with it, and I'm too old-school a brain to be able to figure it out. I'm dumb. Anything that I have to attack with my thumbs, for any period of time, makes me feel stupid. So, I try to avoid it, as much as possible, to protect my thumbs.
Quote examples
Graham Potter
English Businessman
From a football perspective, putting young footballers into art, or singing - you're doing something that's not so familiar. It has helped us build a team and build a spirit.
Quote examples
Esther Dyson
American Businesswoman
Part of the problem is when we bring in a new technology we expect it to be perfect in a way that we don't expect the world that we're familiar with to be perfect.
Quote examples
Frank Lowy
Australian Businessman
To imagine a better life for yourself and your family and to leave behind all that is familiar requires a special kind of courage.
Quote examples
Mike Patton
American Musician
There's a danger in anything that is unfamiliar. That's the world we live in.
Quote examples
Marc Platt
American Producer
Watching familiar characters take unexpected turns is very appealing.
Quote examples
Annaleigh Ashford
American Actress
I love finding ways to make familiar characters into someone unique.
Quote examples
Ednita Nazario
American Musician
And, more important, none of Paul's music feels unfamiliar to me.
Quote examples
Annalee Newitz
American Journalist
Technological change is both familiar and easy to observe.
Quote examples
Michel de Montaigne
French Philosopher
Few men have been admired of their familiars.
Quote examples
Johnny Depp
American Actor
Things go wrong for me all the time with technology. I'm not familiar enough with it, and I'm too old-school a brain to be able to figure it out. I'm dumb. Anything that I have to attack with my thumbs, for any period of time, makes me feel stupid. So, I try to avoid it, as much as possible, to protect my thumbs.
Quote examples
Graham Potter
English Businessman
From a football perspective, putting young footballers into art, or singing - you're doing something that's not so familiar. It has helped us build a team and build a spirit.
Quote examples
Esther Dyson
American Businesswoman
Part of the problem is when we bring in a new technology we expect it to be perfect in a way that we don't expect the world that we're familiar with to be perfect.
Quote examples
Frank Lowy
Australian Businessman
To imagine a better life for yourself and your family and to leave behind all that is familiar requires a special kind of courage.
Quote examples
Mike Patton
American Musician
There's a danger in anything that is unfamiliar. That's the world we live in.
Quote examples
Marc Platt
American Producer
Watching familiar characters take unexpected turns is very appealing.
Quote examples
Annaleigh Ashford
American Actress
I love finding ways to make familiar characters into someone unique.
Quote examples
Ednita Nazario
American Musician
And, more important, none of Paul's music feels unfamiliar to me.
Quote examples
Annalee Newitz
American Journalist
Technological change is both familiar and easy to observe.
Quote examples
Michel de Montaigne
French Philosopher
Few men have been admired of their familiars.
Example 1 of 10
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