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Unfamiliar vs Familiar - What's the difference?

unfamiliar | familiar |

Familiar is a antonym of unfamiliar.



As adjectives the difference between unfamiliar and familiar

is that unfamiliar is strange, not familiar while familiar is known to one.

As nouns the difference between unfamiliar and familiar

is that unfamiliar is an unfamiliar person; a stranger while familiar is a member of one's family or household.

unfamiliar

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Strange, not familiar.
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2011 , date=October 15 , author=Phil McNulty , title=Liverpool 1 - 1 Man Utd , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=United were second-best for long periods as they struggled to adapt to an unfamiliar line-up and were ultimately fortunate to leave Merseyside with their unbeaten league run still intact.}}

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An unfamiliar person; a stranger.

    • 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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