oftentimes
Americanadverb
Usage
What does oftentimes mean? Oftentimes is another way of saying often or frequently. It’s used to give an idea of how frequently something happens or is done. Something that happens occasionally happens sometimes. Something that happens oftentimes happens a lot (though maybe not all the time). Oftentimes is an adverb, meaning it’s typically used to describe verbs. It’s oftentimes associated with habitual actions. A less common variant of oftentimes is ofttimes. Example: He would oftentimes take his dog for a walk in the woods to clear his head.
Etymology
Origin of oftentimes
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at often, time, -s 1
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.
If there’s something not quite right, listen to what your body tells you because your body will oftentimes clock the true motivations of the individual before your brain does.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 8, 2026
Despite its charm, frozen pizza can oftentimes be, well, a little too simple.
From Salon • Jun. 6, 2026
She currently shares a car with her boyfriend and they coordinate daily dropoffs and pickups, oftentimes inconveniencing one of them.
From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026
The journey from Philly to the New Jersey stadium hosting the final "is oftentimes a much... easier route to travel" than from even Manhattan, she said.
From Barron's • Apr. 29, 2026
Dr. Webb says that life is so full of complications and confusion that humans oftentimes find it hard to cope.
From "Where Things Come Back" by John Corey Whaley
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.
