frequently
Americanadverb
Synonym Usage
See often.
Etymology
Origin of frequently
Explanation
If you do something frequently, you do it repeatedly, again and again. If you frequently visit the cookie jar, you might gain some unwanted pounds. Doctors and nurses have to wash their hands frequently, many times each day, since they touch various patients and don't want to spread germs. When you're driving in rush hour traffic, you usually find yourself stopping frequently. Things that occur over and over, especially in a relatively short time frame, happen frequently. The adverb frequently comes from the adjective frequent, which originally meant "profuse or ample," from the Latin root frequentem, "crowded or repeated."
Vocabulary lists containing frequently
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026
That concern can leave clues in the electronic health record—for example, nurses may check vital signs more frequently.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
Retail analysts said the duty fees have not only driven up the prices of goods but also caused people to shop less frequently.
From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026
Pioneering black punk bands such as Bad Brains were frequently under-recognised despite their influence, Phillips said.
From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026
For over a year, the male French pilots of the Normandie-Niemen Regiment, flying dangerous Soviet Yaks, frequently served as fighter escorts for the women of the 125th Guards in their powerful Pe-2 dive-bombers.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.