often

[aw-fuhn, of-uhn, awf-tuhn, of-]

adverb

1. many times; frequently.

   He visits his parents as often as he can.

   Synonyms: customarily, repeatedly
   Antonyms: seldom

2. in many cases.

   Synonyms: customarily, repeatedly
   Antonyms: seldom

adjective

1. Archaic.,  frequent.

often

/ ˈɒftən, ˈɒfən /

adverb

1. Archaic equivalents: oftentimes.  ofttimes. frequently or repeatedly; much of the time

2. quite frequently

3. at intervals

4. in more than half the instances

adjective

1. archaic,  repeated; frequent

Pronunciation Note

Often was pronounced with a t -sound until the 17th century, when a pronunciation without the came to predominate in the speech of the educated, in both North America and Great Britain, and the earlier pronunciation fell into disfavor. Common use of a spelling pronunciation has since restored the for many speakers, and today and [or and ] exist side by side. Although it is still sometimes criticized, often with a is now so widely heard from educated speakers that it has become fully standard once again.

Other Word Forms

• oftenness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of often¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English oftin, variant before vowels of ofte ; oft

Word History and Origins

Origin of often¹

C14: variant of _oft before vowels and h

Idioms and Phrases

see every now and then (so often); more often than not.

Synonym Study

Often, frequently, generally, usually refer to experiences that are customary. Often and frequently may be used interchangeably in most cases, but often implies numerous repetitions and, sometimes, regularity of recurrence: We often go there; frequently suggests especially repetition at comparatively short intervals: It happens frequently. Generally refers to place and means universally: It is generally understood. He is generally liked; but it is often used as a colloquial substitute for usually. In this sense, generally, like usually, refers to time, and means in numerous instances. Generally, however, extends in range from the merely numerous to a majority of possible instances; whereas usually means practically always: The train is generally on time. We usually have hot summers.

Example Sentences

Yet, that often doesn’t matter as long as companies deliver on profits.

Read more on Barron's

I’m referring to the relatively obscure and illiquid stocks that now and then will capture the attention of certain traders and social-media users, skyrocket and then, more often than not, quickly fall back to Earth.

Read more on MarketWatch

As is so often the case with words that seem topical and newfangled, both turned out to have a deeper history than commonly imagined, dating back half a century.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The suspension highlights a broader tension facing Western Europe’s traditionally generous welfare states: longer-living populations are straining public finances, yet voters often resist cuts to benefits.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Together, these elements reveal how great science often grows from human connections and experiences that extend far beyond the laboratory.

Read more on Science Daily

Related Words

• generally 
• much 
• regularly 
• repeatedly 
• usually