Oftentimes

ˈɒftənˌtaɪmz

adverbmedium📊CommonFrequency
1 meaning1 idiom/phrase2 questions

Definitions

1

Frequently; on many occasions; at many times.

ˈɒftənˌtaɪmz

adverbneutralmedium
Frequency

Frequently or many times.

Oftentimes, the weather in the mountains is unpredictable.

💡 Simply: Like saying 'a lot of times' or 'frequently'. For example, Oftentimes, when I'm hungry, I eat a snack.

👶 For kids: It means 'a lot of times' or 'sometimes'.

More Examples

2

Oftentimes, people underestimate the power of a simple act of kindness.

3

Oftentimes, the best lessons are learned through experience.

4

Oftentimes, the smallest details can make the biggest difference.

How It's Used

General

"Oftentimes, the best solutions are the simplest ones."

Literary

"Oftentimes, he would wander through the woods."

Synonyms & Antonyms

Idioms & expressions

more often than not

Usually; in most cases; generally.

"More often than not, it rains in the afternoon."

From "oft" (often) + "times." It reflects the frequent occurrence of events or actions.

Used in historical literature to express frequent occurrence; still in use but may sound slightly more formal than 'often'.

Memory tip

Think of 'often' + 'times' to remember it means 'many times'.

Word Origin

LanguageOld English
Original meaning

"often"

Base: often
oftentimes overlookedoftentimes the caseoftentimes usedoftentimes difficult

Common misspellings

often timesoft times

Usage

40%Spoken
60%Written