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Meaning of FAMILIAR

Pronunciation:  fu'milyur

WordNet Dictionary
 
 Definition: 
  1. [n]  a spirit (usually in animal form) that acts as an assistant to a witch or wizard
  2. [n]  a person who is frequently in the company of another; "drinking companions"; "comrades in arms"
  3. [n]  a person attached to the household of a high official (as a pope or bishop) who renders service in return for support
  4. [adj]  having mutual interests or affections; of established friendship; "on familiar terms"; "pretending she is on an intimate footing with those she slanders"
  5. [adj]  well known or easily recognized; not unfamiliar; "a familiar figure"; "familiar songs"; "familiar guests"
  6. [adj]  within normal everyday experience; common and ordinary; not strange; "familiar ordinary objects found in every home"; "a familiar everyday scene"; "a familiar excuse"; "a day like any other filled with familiar duties and experiences"
 
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 Synonyms: acquainted with(p), acquainted(p), associate, beaten(a), close, common, common or garden, companion, comrade, everyday, familiar spirit, familiar with(p), fellow, intimate, long-familiar, old(a), usual, well known(p), well-known(a)
 
 Antonyms: strange, unfamiliar, unusual
 
 See Also: date, disembodied spirit, escort, friend, known, playfellow, playmate, retainer, servant, spirit

 

 

Webster's 1913 Dictionary
 
 Definition: 
  1. \Fa*mil`iar\, a. [OE. familer, familier, F. familier,
fr. L. familiaris, fr. familia family. See {Family}.]
1. Of or pertaining to a family; domestic. ``Familiar
   feuds.'' --Byron.
2. Closely acquainted or intimate, as a friend or companion;
   well versed in, as any subject of study; as, familiar with
   the Scriptures.
3. Characterized by, or exhibiting, the manner of an intimate
   friend; not formal; unconstrained; easy; accessible. ``In
   loose, familiar strains.'' --Addison.
         Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar. --Shak.
4. Well known; well understood; common; frequent; as, a
   familiar illustration.
         That war, or peace, or both at once, may be As
         things acquainted and familiar to us. --Shak.
         There is nothing more familiar than this. --Locke.
5. Improperly acquainted; wrongly intimate. --Camden.
{Familiar spirit}, a demon or evil spirit supposed to attend
   at call. --1 Sam. xxviii. 3, 7-9.

  2. \Fa*mil"iar\, n.
1. An intimate; a companion.
         All my familiars watched for my halting. --Jer. xx.
                                               10.
2. An attendant demon or evil spirit. --Shak.
3. (Court of Inquisition) A confidential officer employed in
   the service of the tribunal, especially in apprehending
   and imprisoning the accused.
 
Thesaurus Terms
 
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