unfamiliar

adjective

ˌən-fə-ˈmil-yər How to pronounce unfamiliar (audio)
Definition of unfamiliarnext
as in strange
not known or experienced before ordered an unfamiliar wine and was surprised to find that it was much drier than what they were used to

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of unfamiliar But there’s no need to panic or toss every unfamiliar ingredient out with the litter. — Lauren Paige Richeson, USA Today, 27 July 2026 Familiar elements focus your attention so that unfamiliar ones can refract around them into new shapes without breaking the spell. — H.d. Angel, Pitchfork, 27 July 2026 Viewers unfamiliar with the culture of the Northeastern state, which has a population just slightly over one million, can find a kindred spirit in The Bachelor franchise alum Iaconetti. — Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 25 July 2026 Kansas City Royals left-hander Noah Cameron found himself in an unfamiliar spot on Friday night against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. — Kansas City Star, 25 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for unfamiliar
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unfamiliar
  1. strange
  2. new
  3. novel
  4. unprecedented
  5. fresh
  6. original
  7. unknown
Adjective
  • That strange sense of incompletion hung over the Detroit Tigers’ clubhouse Saturday night.
    — Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Having collaborated with his parents since the late 1980s, Berenstain was no stranger to furthering the family legacy.
    — Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of strange
Adjective
  • That same year, Wolfram set out on an ambitious new direction in science aimed at understanding the origins of complexity in nature.
    — Big Think, Big Think, 4 Aug. 2026
  • If your crepe myrtles aren’t receiving enough light, transplant them to a new growing location when the plants are dormant in winter.
    — Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of new
Adjective
  • This isn’t necessarily a dig; all novel research likely requires some version of this mindset just to get off the ground.
    — John Pavlus, Quanta Magazine, 31 July 2026
  • The novel intensity of New York eventually began to fade, and MacLeod lived alone in Manhattan, barely leaving his apartment.
    — Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 30 July 2026
Definition of novel
Adjective
  • The tech giant was racing to fix weaknesses in its code that a new AI model known as Mythos was uncovering at an unprecedented clip.
    — Renee Dudley, ProPublica, 29 July 2026
  • The Incident That Changed The Conversation OpenAI disclosed that two of its models escaped a testing environment and carried out what the company itself called an unprecedented cyber incident against the AI platform Hugging Face.
    — David Chou, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Definition of unprecedented
Adjective
  • The reversal came a day after the Wall Street Journal reported Trump had ordered the military to prepare a fresh attack that could begin as soon as the weekend.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 3 Aug. 2026
  • There’s always something new to see and fresh businesses to support.
    — Lesly Gregory, AJC.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of fresh
Adjective
  • The sole violation against the original pair was for not reporting the relationship.
    — Kelsy Mittauer, CBS News, 1 Aug. 2026
  • At the original location, an older Mexican woman stopped to read the family's story on the wall and began to cry.
    — Stephanie Gravalese, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of original
Adjective
  • The lab got its start with studies of Rocky Mountain spotted fever in the 1900s, when ranchers and cattle were dying from the then-unknown disease.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 22 July 2026
  • The previously unknown visit, revealed to the Washington Examiner by a source familiar with the matter, appears to be his first since leaving power in April.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 21 July 2026
Definition of unknown

Browse Nearby Words

unfaltering
unfamiliar
unfamiliarity
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unfamiliar.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unfamiliar. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on unfamiliar

Nglish: Translation of unfamiliar for Spanish Speakers

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