All of you are familiar with the truth of the story.
Source: tatoeba (22140)
Familiar
/fəˈmɪl.jɚ/
Synonyms for "familiar" (317 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (64)
abreastacceptedaccustomedacquaintanceacquaintedacquainted withadvocateaffablealter egoamicableamigoancestral spiritsangelarrogantattendant godlingau courantau faitaudaciousaverageaware
Show 29 more words
back numberback-numberbackerbanalbest friendbewhiskeredbohemianboldboonbosom friendbromidicbrotherbuddy-buddybumptiouscasualcasual acquaintancechattychumchummycloseclose acquaintanceclose friendcognizantcoldcolloquialcomfortablecommoncommonly knowncommonplace
Adjective(2 words)
Noun(9 words)
Strong matches (95)
confidantconfidanteconfidentialconformableconsciousconsuetudinarycontrolcontumeliousconventionalconversantconversant withconversationalcoolcordialcornycozycurrentcustomarycut-and-drieddaemon
Show 58 more words
degagedemondisdainfuldisrespectfuleasyeasygoingestablishedeverydayfadefairy godmotherfamiliar spiritfamiliar withfavorerfellowfellow creaturefellowmanfolksyforwardfreefree and easyfrequentfreshfriendfriendlyfustygeneralgenerally acceptedgenialgeniusgenius domusgenius locigood angelgood geniusgraciousguardianguardian angelguardian spiritguidehabitualhackneyhackneyedhand and glovehand-in-handhaymishhomelyhomeyhouseholdhousehold godshubristicimpertinentimpudentinformalinformedinformed ofinnerinseparableinseparable friendinsolent
Adjective(7 words)
Adjective(1 words)
Related words (158)
insultingintimateintrusiveinvisible helperirregularlares and penateslares compitaleslares familiarislares permarinilares praestiteslares vialeslooselovermanesmatemindfulministering angelmoth eatenmoth-eatenmusty
Show 113 more words
naturalnearneighborneighborlyno stranger tononstandardnormalnormativenotoriousnumenobtainingobtrusiveoffhandoffhandedofficiousold hatordinaryother selfoutgoingoverpresumptuousoverweeningpalsy-walsypartisanpenatespersonalpickupplainplatitudinouspopularpredominatingprescribedprescriptivepresumingpresumptuousprevailingprevalentprivy toprocaciousprosaicproverbialpublicpushyreceivedregularregulationrelaxedrepositoryroutinesetsimplesnugsociablesocialspecial providencespokensquarestalestandardstereotypedstocksubstandardsupportersympathizertalked abouttalked-abouttalked-oftete-a-tetethickthick as thievesthreadbaretime-honoredtimeworntotemtraditionaltritetruistictutelar godtutelaryunaffectedunassumingunceremoniousunconstrainedunconventionaluneducateduniversaluniversally admitteduniversally recognizedunliteraryunofficialunoriginalunreservedunrestrainedunstudiedupup onuppishuppityusualvernacularversedwarmed overwarmed-overwell-kennedwell-knownwell-recognizedwell-understoodwell-wisherwell-wornwidely knownwidespreadwontedwornworn thin
Adjective(7 words)
Noun(10 words)
knowledgeableknown valuemore well knownniggetrecognizablespiritspritetwo word phrasewell knownwell-known brand
Adjective(5 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: abreast, accepted, accustomed, accustomed, acquaintance.
- accustomed: 'Accustomed' means familiar through repetition, you've done this enough times that it no longer surprises or challenges you.
- Sentence evidence is available for familiar, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from moby, wiktionary, opengloss, wordnet, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "familiar".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "familiar"
Keep "familiar" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "familiar" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "familiar", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "familiar" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
How these synonyms differ
- accustomed - 'Accustomed' means familiar through repetition, you've done this enough times that it no longer surprises or challenges you.
- acquainted - 'Acquainted' implies a surface-level connection, you know enough to nod, not enough to confide. It's the shallow end of familiar.
- recognizable - 'Recognizable' is about being identifiable, you can pick it out from a crowd. It doesn't require the warmth or comfort that 'familiar' often carries.
- well-known - 'Well-known' shifts from personal experience to public reputation. Something familiar is known to you; something well-known is known to everyone.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
10 entriesMore specific
10 entriesCollocations
11 entriesfamiliar conceptfamiliar demonfamiliar facefamiliar facesfamiliar settingfamiliar spiritfamiliar surroundingsfamiliar termfamiliar termsfamiliar withwitch familiar
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
6 entriesAntonyms
2 entriessimilar
12 entriesSample sentences
22 total sentences available.
We are familiar with the legend of Robin Hood.
Source: tatoeba (23111)
The tune was not familiar to me.
Source: tatoeba (29004)
I'm sure that family is familiar with Japanese tastes in food. They've hosted quite a few Japanese exchange students.
Source: tatoeba (31426)
Showing 4 of 22 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "familiar"?
Closest matches include abreast, accepted, accustomed, accustomed, acquaintance.
How is "accustomed" different from "familiar"?
'Accustomed' means familiar through repetition, you've done this enough times that it no longer surprises or challenges you.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "familiar"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.