Familiarise: Definition, Usage & Common Mistakes

Meaning 1：make familiar (familiarise)

familiarise 🔊

/fəˈmɪl.i.ə.raɪz/

vt.

to make someone know about something so they feel comfortable with it.

Illustration of a person familiarising themselves with a new smartphone by reading the manual

make familiar 🔊

➕

/meɪk fəˈmɪl.i.ər/

vt.

To intentionally cause someone to gain knowledge or experience with something, so that it becomes known and comfortable to them.

📁 Category：School Education 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

Derived from 'familiar' (from Latin 'familiaris', meaning 'of a household') + '-ise' (verb-forming suffix).

💡 Mnemonic

To make FAMILY-ARISE in your mind. Think of bringing a stranger into the 'family' of your knowledge.

📖 Example

On the first day of school, the teacher used a map to familiarise the new students with the campus layout. 🔊 On the first day of school, the teacher used a map to make the new students familiar with the campus layout.

🔗 Collocations

familiarise oneself with – to make oneself knowledgeable about something

familiarise staff with new procedures – to train staff to understand new operational methods

a period to familiarise – a designated time for learning and adaptation

🔄 Synonyms

acquaint (vt.) – to make someone aware of or familiar with something.

orient (vt.) – to adjust or align someone with new surroundings or information.

accustom (vt.) – to make someone used to something through repeated experience.

🚫 Antonyms

confuse (vt.) – to make someone unable to understand something clearly.

alienate (vt.) – to cause someone to feel isolated or estranged from something.

🌱 Derivatives

familiarisation (n.) – the process of making or becoming familiar with something.

📖 Cultural Story

The word originates from the Latin 'familiaris', meaning 'of a household' or 'domestic'. It entered English via French. The verb-forming suffix '-ise' signals the action of making something part of one's known household or circle of experience.