familiarize

verb

fa·​mil·​iar·​ize fə-ˈmil-yə-ˌrīz 

familiarized; familiarizing

transitive verb

1

: to make known or familiar

Shakespeare … familiarizes the wonderful

—Samuel Johnson

2

: to make well acquainted

familiarize students with good literature

familiarization

fə-ˌmil-yə-rə-ˈzā-shən 

noun

Synonyms

• acquaint
• advise
• apprise
• brief
• catch up
• clear
• clue (in)
• enlighten
• fill in
• hip
• inform
• instruct
• tell
• verse
• wise (up)

Examples of familiarize in a Sentence

I've been slowly familiarizing myself with the neighborhood.

the general's day-to-day duties included familiarizing the president on international developments

Recent Examples on the Web

The agency expects taxpayers will need more time to familiarize themselves with the form and the apps will need more time to separate business from personal transactions.. —Brian Sloan, CNBC, 30 Jan. 2025

Two-plus decades of coaching in the NFL with San Francisco, Miami, the New York Jets, Seattle, Atlanta and Dallas familiarized Quinn with Washington’s bleak years. —Mike Jones, The Athletic, 25 Jan. 2025

After that, the rest of his Metropolitans 92 games were broadcast on the N.B.A. App so American fans could familiarize themselves with him. —Tania Ganguli, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2025

To avoid surprises, familiarize yourself with the vendor’s return and refund policies beforehand. —Rowan Briggs, The Mercury News, 17 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1593, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

familiarize

verb

fa·​mil·​iar·​ize fə-ˈmil-yə-ˌrīz 

familiarized; familiarizing

: to make familiar

familiarize yourself with the place

familiarization

-ˌmil-yə-rə-ˈzā-shən 

noun