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
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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List 1
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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.
He frequently speaks about his humble beginnings as the son of a bartender and a hotel maid.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
Hook frequently forsook food for the cat poop he always seemed to find on our lawn and in our backyard.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
However, religious groups and others have frequently objected to his display of human remains.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Warsh has spoken frequently over the past six weeks, including during his first semiannual testimony to Congress, but “he has said very little,” Daco added.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
She was concerned that frequently allowing groups including men into their home made them targets of gossip.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
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.
