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
Synonyms
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
For those unfamiliar with the lore, Sam the chimp rose to regional fame in the late 1970s when he was abandoned in Boone County, Kentucky, by a bankrupt carnival and then used as tailgate entertainment in the Cincinnati area, the bar's website states.
—
Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 13 Nov. 2024
This was important, explains Takagi, because cats have a strong fear of novelty and unfamiliar people and places.
—Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2024
Traveling for work often presents an endless array of distractions from reaching fitness goals — tight schedules, jet lag, unfamiliar environments.
—Jahan Marcu, Rolling Stone, 1 Nov. 2024
For those unfamiliar with the story, here are the facts: In August 1892, businessman Andrew Borden and his wife Abby were brutally murdered by multiple blows to their heads with a hatchet (actually 19 for her and 10-11 for him).
—Julie Jordan, People.com, 31 Oct. 2024
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.
Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 13 Nov. 2024
This was important, explains Takagi, because cats have a strong fear of novelty and unfamiliar people and places.
—Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2024
Traveling for work often presents an endless array of distractions from reaching fitness goals — tight schedules, jet lag, unfamiliar environments.
—Jahan Marcu, Rolling Stone, 1 Nov. 2024
For those unfamiliar with the story, here are the facts: In August 1892, businessman Andrew Borden and his wife Abby were brutally murdered by multiple blows to their heads with a hatchet (actually 19 for her and 10-11 for him).
—Julie Jordan, People.com, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for unfamiliar
Dictionary Entries Near unfamiliar
Cite this Entry
“Unfamiliar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unfamiliar. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
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