highly familiar

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase “highly familiar” is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe someone or something that is very well-known or easily recognized. For example, "The Queen is a highly familiar figure to many people across the world."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

In addition, speech perception is facilitated when a highly familiar voice is presented suggesting that familiarity may even help listeners to compensate for sensory or cognitive decline (Johnsrude et al., 2013).

Brain Research

In that study, the Familiarity control rats were simultaneously shown a highly familiar object (from the previous trial) and an object that is less recent but still highly familiar (used in all previous sessions).

Behavioral Neuroscience

It is, however, highly familiar.

The New York Times - Arts

Hagel is highly familiar with veterans' issues.

The Washington Post

Aging and distraction by highly familiar stimuli during visual-search.

Nature

Most of Mr. Tadie's other observations will be highly familiar to readers of earlier biographies.

The New York Times - Books

Races involving highly familiar candidates such as Hillary Clinton and Richard Gephardt also were excluded.

Princeton University

He is highly familiar with the British music business and friends with Mr. Berry, the head of EMI Records.

The New York Times

Cinemagoers who are not au fait with Oshii's film may still find many of its themes and tropes highly familiar.

The Guardian - Film

Many elements of this book will be highly familiar to readers who have tracked Mr. Bush's career.

The New York Times - Books

Consumers' awareness runs deep: Images of highly familiar brands have been shown to activate specific areas of the brain.

Harvard Business Review

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "highly familiar" to describe concepts, brands, or people that are easily recognized or understood by a wide audience. This adds a layer of immediate comprehension for your readers.

Common error

While "highly familiar" is acceptable, avoid overusing it in very informal contexts where simpler alternatives like "well-known" or "common" might sound more natural. Adjust your language based on the context and audience.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "highly familiar" functions as an adjective phrase, modifying a noun to indicate a high degree of recognition or prior knowledge. Ludwig AI confirms its correct grammatical use, seen in examples like "highly familiar candidates" or "highly familiar brands".

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

30%

Science

40%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

5%

Wiki

5%

Reference

10%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "highly familiar" is a grammatically sound and frequently used adjective phrase to describe something easily recognized or well-known. Ludwig AI validates this, showcasing its prevalence across diverse fields like science, news, and business. While versatile, it's important to consider the context and opt for simpler terms in very informal settings. As an alternative consider "very well-known", "widely recognized" or "commonly known", depending on the specific nuance you wish to convey.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

very well-known

Emphasizes the widespread knowledge of something, rather than the feeling of familiarity.

deeply acquainted

Suggests a thorough and intimate knowledge, differing from simple familiarity.

intimately conversant

Highlights a detailed and practiced understanding, more formal than "highly familiar".

thoroughly versed

Indicates expertise and comprehensive knowledge, carrying a more professional tone.

widely recognized

Focuses on public acknowledgment and visibility, unlike the personal connection implied by "familiar".

commonly known

Stresses that something is a general fact, differing from personal experience.

readily identifiable

Emphasizes ease of identification, removing the sense of prior acquaintance.

instantly recognizable

Highlights the speed of recognition, unlike the sustained familiarity of the original phrase.

well-established

Suggests something has been known for a long time, not necessarily personally familiar.

extensively experienced

Focuses on having encountered something numerous times, changing the nuance to repeated exposure.

FAQs

How can I use "highly familiar" in a sentence?

You can use "highly familiar" to describe something that is easily recognized or well-known, such as "The melody was "highly familiar" to anyone who grew up in the 80s".

What are some alternatives to "highly familiar"?

Depending on the context, you could use alternatives like "very well-known", "widely recognized", or "commonly known".

Is "highly familiar" formal or informal?

"Highly familiar" is suitable for both formal and neutral contexts. In very informal settings, simpler terms might be preferred.

What's the difference between "highly familiar" and "feeling familiar"?

"Highly familiar" describes something that is widely known or easily recognized by many people, whereas "feeling familiar" refers to a personal sense of recognition or connection. The former is objective, while the latter is subjective.