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
The Administration had been slow to hire, and many staffers were unfamiliar with the intricacies of bureaucratic combat.
—
Emma Green, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
Through hashtags such as #LifeAfterDeportation, creators share clips about finding work, struggling with Spanish, enrolling their kids in school, and other challenges of rebuilding a life in an unfamiliar place.
—Christina Noriega, Refinery29, 13 Oct. 2025
But, unfamiliar with this routine, Sinbad kept eating.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
For many native English speakers, his music may be unfamiliar or hard to relate to.
—Ana Mariella Rivera, Twin Cities, 12 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unfamiliar
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Emma Green, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
Through hashtags such as #LifeAfterDeportation, creators share clips about finding work, struggling with Spanish, enrolling their kids in school, and other challenges of rebuilding a life in an unfamiliar place.
—Christina Noriega, Refinery29, 13 Oct. 2025
But, unfamiliar with this routine, Sinbad kept eating.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
For many native English speakers, his music may be unfamiliar or hard to relate to.
—Ana Mariella Rivera, Twin Cities, 12 Oct. 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 19 Oct. 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
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