unfamiliar
adjective
un·fa·mil·iar
ˌən-fə-ˈmil-yər 
: not familiar:
a
: not well-known : strange
an unfamiliar place
b
: not well acquainted
unfamiliar with the subject
Examples of unfamiliar in a Sentence
He gets nervous when he is in unfamiliar surroundings.
The book is full of unfamiliar words.
Recent Examples on the Web
Christopher Bailey and Riccardo Tisci’s Burberry struck many as unfamiliar.
—
Julian Randall, Essence, 3 Mar. 2025
This breakthrough allows machines to handle unfamiliar items by generalizing from previous experiences, closing the gap between specialized and general-purpose robots.
—Janakiram Msv, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
This meant playing in broad daylight to half-empty venues full of hair-metal fans largely unfamiliar with their music, even if Poison and Mötley Crüe probably wouldn’t exist without the Dolls’ massive influence.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 1 Mar. 2025
Met with language barriers like unfamiliar vocabulary, subject-specific jargon, grammar complexities, pronunciation difficulties, and reading comprehension, ELLs may struggle to fully participate in classroom activities, which, in turn, can lead to feelings of isolation and marginalization.
—Ethan Stone, USA TODAY, 1 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unfamiliar
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Julian Randall, Essence, 3 Mar. 2025
This breakthrough allows machines to handle unfamiliar items by generalizing from previous experiences, closing the gap between specialized and general-purpose robots.
—Janakiram Msv, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
This meant playing in broad daylight to half-empty venues full of hair-metal fans largely unfamiliar with their music, even if Poison and Mötley Crüe probably wouldn’t exist without the Dolls’ massive influence.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 1 Mar. 2025
Met with language barriers like unfamiliar vocabulary, subject-specific jargon, grammar complexities, pronunciation difficulties, and reading comprehension, ELLs may struggle to fully participate in classroom activities, which, in turn, can lead to feelings of isolation and marginalization.
—Ethan Stone, USA TODAY, 1 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unfamiliar
Cite this Entry
“Unfamiliar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unfamiliar. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
unfamiliar
adjective
un·fa·mil·iar
ˌən-fə-ˈmil-yər
1
: not well-known : strange
an unfamiliar place
2
: not well acquainted
unfamiliar with the subject
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share