# familiar

/fəˈmɪɫjɝ/ (US) · /fəmˈɪliə/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/familiar
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. well-known

adjective · CEFR B1

easy to recognize because you have seen, heard, or experienced it before.

For teachers: well-known from previous experience or encounter; easily recognized.

- The smell of fresh bread was familiar and made him feel at home.
- The melody was hauntingly familiar, though she could not recall exactly where she had heard it during her childhood.

Usage: Commonly used with the preposition 'with' for the person knowing, or 'to' for the thing being known.

### 2. friendly or informal

adjective · CEFR B2

behaving in a very friendly or informal way, sometimes too much so.

For teachers: characterized by intimacy or informality; occasionally carries a negative connotation of being overly bold or presumptuous.

- He spoke to his boss in a familiar way that surprised his coworkers.
- The waiter's overly familiar tone was intended to be charming, but it actually made the diners feel quite uncomfortable.

### 3. supernatural spirit

noun · CEFR C2 · Literary

a spirit, often taking the shape of an animal like a cat, that serves or helps a witch.

For teachers: a supernatural spirit or demon supposed to attend on or serve a person, traditionally a witch.

- In the old stories, the witch's black cat was actually her familiar.
- Folklore often depicts the familiar as a bridge between the mundane world and the occult, manifesting as a common household pet to avoid suspicion.

## Examples

- Her face looks familiar, but I cannot remember her name.
- The smell of fresh coffee was a familiar comfort as he walked into his childhood home.
- The author uses a familiar narrative structure to ground the reader before introducing more experimental and challenging themes in the later chapters.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.