frequency
Americannoun
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Also frequence. the state or fact of being frequent; frequent occurrence.
We are alarmed by the frequency of fires in the neighborhood.
- Synonyms:
- recurrence, repetition, regularity
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rate of occurrence.
The doctor has increased the frequency of his visits.
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Physics.
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the number of periods or regularly occurring events of any given kind in unit of time, usually in one second.
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the number of cycles or completed alternations per unit time of a wave or oscillation. F; freq.
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Mathematics. the number of times a value recurs in a unit change of the independent variable of a given function.
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Statistics. the number of items occurring in a given category.
noun
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the state of being frequent; frequent occurrence
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the number of times that an event occurs within a given period; rate of recurrence
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ν. f. physics the number of times that a periodic function or vibration repeats itself in a specified time, often 1 second. It is usually measured in hertz
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statistics
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the number of individuals in a class ( absolute frequency )
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the ratio of this number to the total number of individuals under survey ( relative frequency )
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ecology
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the number of individuals of a species within a given area
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the percentage of quadrats that contains individuals of a species
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Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of frequency
First recorded in 1545–55, frequency is from the Latin word frequentia assembly, multitude, crowd. See frequent, -cy
Explanation
Frequency measures how often things repeat over time. City buses often reach stops at a frequency of every 15 minutes, unless it's snowing or raining really hard. In that case, the frequency will slow. You probably know the word frequent, a synonym for often. So, it is tempting to think frequency describes something that happens often. However, this isn't true: frequency describes any rate of time at which something repeats. For example, from Earth, Halley's Comet is visible at a frequency of 76 years — it's not frequent, but it is on schedule.
Vocabulary lists containing frequency
Word Generation Science - Measurement
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Unit 2: Pivotal Words and Phrases
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Waves and Wave Properties - Introductory
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Scientists say human-induced climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme heat events in Japan and elsewhere.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
What beckons in the coming hours is no longer novel, given the turnover of prime ministers recently, but it is no less significant for its increased frequency.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
One of the studies met the primary objective of significant reductions in cough frequency after 12 weeks of treatment, while the other didn’t after 24 weeks, the company said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
Instead of rotating an object mechanically, the researchers built a radio frequency device whose properties are rapidly changed across both space and time.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 12, 2026
Figure 4.1: A sound that has a shorter wavelength has a higher frequency and a higher pitch.
From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones
British forces attempted to contact the Russian plane on international frequencies, but it did not respond.
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
The new aircraft deliveries will support higher frequencies, the restoration of suspended routes and entry into new destinations across Asia and Europe, the analysts add.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026
Spectrum are the frequencies over which wireless calls and data travel.
From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026
The observations covered frequencies from 1 to 9 gigahertz, a range suitable for detecting narrowband radio transmissions.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 23, 2026
“Also,” I suggest, “it could be a system overload. Cellular frequencies get jammed in densely populated situations.”
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.