English Explanatory Dictionary

often

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adv
  1. Frequently; many times on different occasions.
adj
  1. Frequent.

Pronunciation

/ˈɒfən/ /ˈɒftən/ /ˈɔːfən/ /ˈɔːftən/ /ˈɔfən/ /ˈɔftən/ /ˈɑfən/ /ˈɑftən/ En-us-often.ogg

Word forms

often more often oftener most often oftenest

Etymology

From Middle English often, alteration (with final -n added due to analogy with Middle English selden (“seldom”)) of Middle English ofte, oft, from Old English oft (“often”), from Proto-Germanic *ufta, *uftō (“often”). Cognates Cognate with Scots affen, aften, af'en, oaffen, oaften, oftin (“often”), North Frisian aaft, oftem, oofting (“often”), Saterland Frisian oafte (“often”), German, Luxembourgish and Pennsylvania German oft (“often”), Yiddish אָפֿט (oft, “often”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål and Norwegian Nynorsk ofte (“often”), Faroese, Swedish ofta (“often”), Icelandic oft (“often”), Gothic 𐌿𐍆𐍄𐌰 (ufta, “often”).

Synonyms

a lot oftentimes typically feelefold frequently manifold manyfold oft often oftenly ofttimes repeatedly unseldom

Antonyms

rarely forever occasionally never once infrequently seldom unoften scarcely seldomly uncommonly

Related words

oft frequency

Derived words

as often as not do you come here often every so often many a time and often more often than not oftenly oftenness oftentime oftenwhiles proverbs often come in pairs the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry the pitcher goes so often to the well that it is broken at last times and often unoften
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