familiar with him

USAGE SUMMARY

"familiar with him" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you are referring to someone who is familiar to you. For example: "I am already familiar with him since we worked together for three years."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Not familiar with him?

The New York Times

His night was no less bruising against Duke, whose personnel was familiar with him.

The New York Times - Sports

If you're not familiar with him, Louis C.K. (short for Szekely) is the country's best standup.

The New Yorker

People who are familiar with him, even if they disagree, recognize the validity of his work".

The New York Times

"There's a misconception about how Arafat rules," said the Western expert who is familiar with him.

The New York Times

Though the audience appears familiar with him, Maitland is not a real person.

The New Yorker

For those not familiar with him, the chef is at the top of the London restaurant scene.

Independent

I can see how he could look like a pencil to you — he baffles everyone not familiar with him.

The New York Times

And those in Sam's old offices are quite familiar with him moving chairs and scratching at the door.

Britannica

Most of what we gathered about him was not public, although today people are very familiar with him".

The New York Times

He's more than comfortable in the position, tactically he's pretty astute and the guys are very familiar with him".

The Guardian - Sport

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "familiar with him" to indicate a degree of knowledge or experience with a person. Ensure the context clearly establishes how the familiarity was gained (e.g., through work, personal relationship, or reputation).

Common error

Avoid using other prepositions like "to" or "for" with "familiar". The correct form is always "familiar with" followed by the person or thing you are acquainted with.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "familiar with him" functions as an adjectival phrase modifying a subject. It describes the subject's state of being acquainted or knowledgeable about a particular person. Ludwig AI confirms its usage.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Wiki

15%

Encyclopedias

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

3%

Reference

3%

Science

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "familiar with him" is a common and grammatically sound way to describe someone's level of acquaintance or knowledge about another person. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's widely used across various contexts, primarily in News & Media. When using this phrase, it's important to ensure the preposition "with" is correctly used, and that the context makes it clear how the familiarity was established. While alternatives like ""acquainted with him"" or ""knows him well"" exist, "familiar with him" remains a versatile and reliable option for conveying this specific meaning.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

acquainted with him

Replaces "familiar" with a synonym, suggesting a degree of knowledge or experience.

knows him well

Emphasizes a deep understanding and close relationship.

knowledgeable about him

Shifts the focus to possessing information about the person.

has a good understanding of him

Focuses on comprehension and insight into the person's character or nature.

aware of him

Indicates a basic understanding or recognition of the person's existence or attributes.

has experience with him

Highlights past interactions or dealings with the person.

is no stranger to him

Suggests previous encounters or awareness.

has interacted with him

Highlights the act of communication or engagement with the person.

has worked with him

Focuses on collaboration or shared projects.

is conversant with him

Indicates the ability to discuss him intelligently and knowledgeably.

FAQs

How can I use "familiar with him" in a sentence?

You can use "familiar with him" to indicate that someone has knowledge or experience with a particular person. For example, "The team are "familiar with him", having tried to get him to seek assistance."

What are some alternatives to saying "familiar with him"?

Depending on the context, you could use alternatives like "acquainted with him", "knows him well", or "aware of him".

Is it correct to say "familiar to him" instead of "familiar with him"?

No, "familiar to him" has a slightly different meaning. "Familiar with him" means you have knowledge or experience of him. "Familiar to him" means he recognizes something. The correct preposition to use when describing someone's knowledge or experience is "with".

What's the difference between "knowing him" and being "familiar with him"?

"Knowing him" implies a personal relationship or deeper understanding. Being "familiar with him" can simply mean recognizing him or knowing basic facts about him without necessarily having a close relationship.