often
/ˈɒfən/ adverb, adjective
Forms oftener oftenest
- adverb Frequently; many times on different occasions. “I often walk to work when the weather is nice.”
- adjective (archaic) Frequent.
Synonyms
a lot oftentimes typically feelefold frequently manifold manyfold oft oftenly ofttimes repeatedly unseldom much a great deal
Antonyms
infrequently occasionally rarely seldom unoften scarcely seldomly uncommonly forever never once
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”).
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”).
Webster’s 1913
- adverb Frequently; many times; not seldom.
- adjective Frequent; common; repeated. [R.] "Thine often infirmities." 1 Tim. v. 23.
Etymology [Formerly also ofte, fr. oft. See Oft., adv.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “often”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details