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Synonyms

frequency

American  
[free-kwuhn-see] / ˈfri kwən si /

noun

plural

frequencies

  1. 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

  2. rate of occurrence.

    The doctor has increased the frequency of his visits.

  3. Physics.

    1. the number of periods or regularly occurring events of any given kind in unit of time, usually in one second.

    2. the number of cycles or completed alternations per unit time of a wave or oscillation. F; freq.

  4. Mathematics. the number of times a value recurs in a unit change of the independent variable of a given function.

  5. Statistics. the number of items occurring in a given category.

frequency British  
/ ˈfriːkwənsɪ /

noun

  1. the state of being frequent; frequent occurrence

  2. the number of times that an event occurs within a given period; rate of recurrence

  3.  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

  4. statistics

    1. the number of individuals in a class ( absolute frequency )

    2. the ratio of this number to the total number of individuals under survey ( relative frequency )

  5. ecology

    1. the number of individuals of a species within a given area

    2. the percentage of quadrats that contains individuals of a species

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
frequency Scientific  
/ frē′kwən-sē /

  1. Physics The rate at which a repeating event occurs, such as the full cycle of a wave. Frequencies are usually measured in hertz.

  2. Physics Compare amplitude See also period

  3. Mathematics The ratio of the number of occurrences of some event to the number of opportunities for its occurrence.

frequency Cultural  

  1. In physics, the number of crests of a wave that move past a given point in a given unit of time. The most common unit of frequency is the hertz (Hz), corresponding to one crest per second. The frequency of a wave can be calculated by dividing the speed of the wave by the wavelength. Thus, in the electromagnetic spectrum, the wavelengths decrease as the frequencies increase, and vice versa.

Other Word Forms

  • nonfrequence noun
  • nonfrequency noun
  • overfrequency noun
  • underfrequency noun

Etymology

Origin of frequency

First recorded in 1545–55, frequency is from the Latin word frequentia assembly, multitude, crowd. See frequent, -cy

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.

Aeva’s lidar is a little different from others, using “frequency modulated continuous wave” technology, which means it’s more immune to glare and sunlight and easier to use to calculate the velocity of objects.

From Barron's

He hit the “eject” button with unusual frequency.

From The Wall Street Journal

The company said it successfully drove customer acquisition and frequency through its “dollar sodas” offering.

From The Wall Street Journal

In August External link, McDonald’s said U.S. customers more than doubled the frequency of their visits after joining its program.

From Barron's

“We deal with violations regarding raptors and birds of prey on a relative frequency but I haven’t seen anything to this level of disregard for the animal in quite a while.”

From Los Angeles Times

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.