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Fluent vs Familiar - What's the difference?

fluent | familiar |

As adjectives the difference between fluent and familiar

is that fluent is that flows; flowing, liquid while familiar is known to one.

As a noun familiar is

a member of one's family or household.

fluent

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • That flows; flowing, liquid.
    • fluent handwriting
  • *, II.12:
    • For time is a fleeting thing, and which appeareth as in a shadow, with the matter ever gliding, alwaies fluent , without ever being stable or permanent.
  • (linguistics) Able to speak a language accurately, rapidly, and confidently – in a flowing way.

    • Usage notes

    In casual use, “fluency” refers to language proficiency'' broadly, while in narrow use it refers to speaking a language ''flowingly, rather than haltingly.

    Related terms

    * fluency * fluently

    Anagrams

    * ----

    familiar

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Known to one.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-07-20, volume=408, issue=8845, magazine=(The Economist)
    • , title= Welcome to the plastisphere , passage=Plastics are energy-rich substances, which is why many of them burn so readily. Any organism that could unlock and use that energy would do well in the Anthropocene. Terrestrial bacteria and fungi which can manage this trick are already familiar to experts in the field.}}
  • Acquainted.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham), title=(The China Governess)
    • , chapter=20 citation , passage=The story struck the depressingly familiar note with which true stories ring in the tried ears of experienced policemen. No one queried it. It was in the classic pattern of human weakness, mean and embarrassing and sad.}}
  • Intimate or friendly.
  • * Shakespeare
    • Be thou familiar , but by no means vulgar.
  • Inappropriately intimate or friendly.
    • (Camden)
  • Of or pertaining to a family; familial.
  • * Byron
    • familiar feuds

    Synonyms

    * (acquainted) acquainted * close, friendly, intimate, personal * (inappropriately intimate or friendly) cheeky, fresh, impudent

    Antonyms

    * (known to one) unfamiliar, unknown * (acquainted) unacquainted * (intimate) cold, cool, distant, impersonal, standoffish, unfriendly

    Derived terms

    * overfamiliar * familiarity * familiarly

    Related terms

    * (l)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (obsolete) A member of one's family or household.
  • (obsolete) A close friend.
  • *, II.i.4.2:
    • a friend of mine, that finding a receipt in Brassavola, would needs take hellebore in substance, and try it on his own person; but had not some of his familiars come to visit him by chance, he had by his indiscretion hazarded himself; many such I have observed.
  • An attendant spirit, often in animal form.
    • The witch’s familiar was a black cat.

    External links

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