US /ˈɔfən/ UK /ˈɒfən/
adv adj Freq #960

Meanings

  1. 1
    adv

    Many times; frequently.

    We often go for a walk after dinner.

Thesaurus

Synonyms
1 adv · many times; frequently. a lotfrequentlyoftoftentimesrepeatedly
Word family
Forms ofteneroftenest

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…

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