unfamiliar

[ uhn-fuh-mil-yer ]

adjective

1. not familiar; not acquainted with or conversant about:

   to be unfamiliar with a subject.

2. different; unaccustomed; unusual; strange:

   an unfamiliar treat.

   Synonyms: new, novel, curious

unfamiliar

/ ˌʌnfəˈmɪljə; ˌʌnfəˌmɪlɪˈærɪtɪ /

adjective

1. not known or experienced; strange
2. postpositivefoll bywith not familiar

Derived Forms

• ˌunfaˈmiliarly, adverb
• unfamiliarity, noun

Other Words From

• un·fa·mil·i·ar·i·ty [uhn-f, uh, -mil-ee-, ar, -i-tee], noun
• unfa·miliar·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of unfamiliar¹

First recorded in 1585–95; un- ¹ + familiar

Example Sentences

It’s both “familiar,” and “unfamiliar terrain,” Njoku said.

From Salon

For all the dollar signs and headlines though, his first game of union since his school days will come at Test level, with unfamiliar team-mates alongside him and 80,000 fans in front of him.

From BBC

The finalists alleged that Jiang had made “several apparent writing mistakes” in an online video and that she “seemed unfamiliar with these mathematical expressions and symbols”.

From BBC

Olivia Williams is quick to admit that she was largely unfamiliar with the world of “Dune” before being cast in “Dune: Prophecy,” an HBO prequel series to Denis Villeneuve’s blockbuster films.

From Los Angeles Times

I was unfamiliar with the technology and they just sort of gave me a crash course.

From Slate

Related Words

• bizarre
• curious
• exotic
• foreign
• new
• obscure
• peculiar
• unaccustomed
• unexpected
• unexplored
• unknown
• unusual