frequently
Americanadverb
Related Words
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
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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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.
Generation X and millennials underestimate life expectancy more frequently than baby boomers.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 23, 2026
The breakthrough could help reduce the spread of disease from frequently touched items like smartphones, keyboards, and hospital equipment.
From Science Daily • Apr. 22, 2026
His Waynesburg pitching coach, Perry Cunningham, was frequently frustrated with what he thought was Miller’s unwillingness to put in the necessary work in the weight room to improve his strength and perplexingly poor stamina.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026
Some West Ham supporters have frequently protested against Brady and co-owner Sullivan, including during the 2025-26 season, with on-field performances and dissatisfaction with the stadium among their complaints.
From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026
He went back to New York frequently to spend time with his family.
From "Death on the River of Doubt" by Samantha Seiple
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.
