familiar
1 ENTRIES FOUND:
Britannica Dictionary definition of FAMILIAR
[more familiar; most familiar]
1
a
:
frequently seen, heard, or experienced
— often + to
-
a familiar joke/sight
-
familiar surroundings
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The essay covers familiar ground/territory.
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It's a sad but (all too) familiar story.
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She has become a familiar figure in the world of politics.
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surroundings that are more familiar to us
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foods that are already familiar to most Americans
b
— used to say that something is easy for you to recognize because you have seen, heard, or experienced it many times in the past
-
He spotted a familiar face in the crowd.
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a familiar voice
c
:
possibly known but not clearly remembered
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He looked familiar [=he looked like someone I had seen before] but I couldn't remember his name.
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Her name is/sounds/seems (vaguely) familiar.
2
a
:
relaxed and informal
-
She spoke in a familiar way about her past.
-
an essay written in a familiar style
b
:
appropriate for use with people you know well
-
a familiar way of addressing someone
c
:
too friendly
— often + with
-
They felt the waiter was being overly familiar.
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He avoids being overly/too familiar with his employees.
familiar with
:
having some knowledge about (something)
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We are familiar with the situation. [=we know about the situation]
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I'm not very familiar with that area.
— familiarly
adverb-
The coach patted him familiarly on the back.
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Locals refer to the Maple Leaf restaurant familiarly [=informally] as ‘The Leaf.’
