Familiarity
Etymology
From Latin familiaritas, from familiaris "of the household, intimate," from familia "household" (whose root famulus meant "servant"). Familiarity is literally the knowing that comes from sharing a household — proximity, not disclosure.
noun · /fuh-mil-ee-AIR-uh-tee/
The easy, unremarkable knowledge of someone that comes from repeated exposure.
What it names
A handle for the low-effort closeness of habit — knowing someone’s rhythms, references, and moods without necessarily knowing their depths.
Example
There was a comfortable familiarity between the old regulars and the bartender, though none of them knew each other’s last names.
Related idea
Distinct from intimacy: familiarity is produced passively by time and proximity and can breed either comfort or contempt, whereas intimacy requires active, chosen self-revelation. Long familiarity can even substitute for intimacy, letting people feel close while remaining unknown.