adv · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
UK:/ˈɒf.ənˌtaɪmz/
UK:/ˈɒf.tənˌtaɪmz/
US:/ˈɔf.ənˌtaɪmz/
US:/ˈɔf.tənˌtaɪmz/
cot-caught-merger:/ˈɑf.ənˌtaɪmz/
cot-caught-merger:/ˈɑf.tənˌtaɪmz/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Australia:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:AO1 F AH0 N T AY2 M Z
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 2:AO1 F T AH0 N T AY2 M Z
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adv
Meaning 1
Frequently; often.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US, not-comparable
Qualifier: elsewhere archaic
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adverb
Meaning 2
many times at short intervals
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
we often met over a cup of coffee
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: frequently, often, oft, ofttimes
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
Inherited from the Middle English oftentymes; equivalent to oftentime + -s. Compare oftentime.
Across languages
Translations
23 source translations are retained for this English entry.
