Familiarize

Familiarize, or familiarise, is a transitive verb meaning to make (someone) well acquainted with something or to become acquainted with something through study or experience. It generally implies reducing unfamiliarity by providing information, exposure, or practice. The syntax commonly uses 'familiarize someone with something' or reflexively 'familiarize yourself with something.'

Etymology: From the adjective familiar, formed from Latin familiaris 'of the household' via Old French familier, with the English suffix -ize to create a verb meaning to cause to become familiar.

Usage: In education and training, organizations use it to describe introducing new employees to procedures, systems, or safety protocols. In software or hardware, users familiarize themselves with interfaces. The term can indicate an initial, perhaps longer, period of acclimation; or a continuous process of updating knowledge as procedures change.

Variants and related terms: American English uses 'familiarize'; British English often uses 'familiarise.' Related verbs include acquaint, acquaint oneself with, acclimate, and acclimatize; noun forms include familiarization or familiarisation.

See also: onboarding, orientation, user onboarding, training.