Frequency: meaning, definitions and examples

Use this term when talking about how often something happens over a particular period. Commonly used in scientific, statistical, or everyday contexts relating to events happening regularly.

• The frequency of thunderstorms this month is unusual.
• Doctors are studying the frequency of this disease in different regions.

This term is most often used in scientific, medical, or technical fields to describe the rate at which specific events or conditions happen.

• The occurrence rate of earthquakes has significantly increased in this area.
• Research shows a high occurrence rate of flu cases during the winter season.

This term should be used when discussing the likelihood of something happening again after it has happened once. It's common in medical and technical settings.

• The rate of recurrence for this type of cancer is quite high.
• Engineers are working to reduce the rate of recurrence of system failures.

This term is best used to describe something happening over and over again without necessarily providing a quantifiable rate. It can have a slightly negative connotation if repetitiveness is implied to be tedious or undesirable.

• Her speech was full of unnecessary repetition.
• The repetition of these exercises will help you improve your skills.

Use 'frequency' to talk about how often something happens or repeats over a certain period of time. It is common in scientific, technical, and everyday contexts.

• The frequency of meetings has increased to twice a week.
• Radio stations broadcast on different frequencies.

Use 'rate' to refer to the speed or level at which something occurs, especially in statistical, medical, or economic discussions.

• The unemployment rate has decreased this year.
• We need to calculate the tax rate.

Apply 'cadence' to describe the rhythmic flow of a sequence of sounds or words. It is often used in musical, literary, or speech contexts.

• The poetic cadence of his speech captivated the audience.
• The drummer improved the cadence of the song.

Use 'tempo' specifically in musical contexts or metaphorically to describe the speed or pace of an activity or process.

• The song has a fast tempo.
• The tempo of the project picked up as the deadline approached.

Used in settings involving the rate at which something occurs over a particular period. Commonly used in physics, telecommunications, and radio technology.

• The radio station broadcasts at a frequency of 100.1 MHz.
• Increasing the frequency of exercise can improve health outcomes.

Refers mostly to the capacity of a network connection to transmit data. This is commonly used in the context of internet connections and digital communications.

• High bandwidth is crucial for streaming high-definition videos.
• The network's bandwidth was not sufficient to handle the sudden surge in traffic.

Used in discussing the physical length of one cycle of a wave, often in the context of optics, sound, and electromagnetic waves. It can also metaphorically describe how people communicate and understand each other.

• The wavelength of visible light ranges from about 400 to 700 nanometers.
• They were on the same wavelength and understood each other perfectly.

Describes a medium for communication or the specific frequency used for telecommunications, television, or radio broadcasts.

• The news is broadcast on Channel 5.
• Switch to a different channel to avoid interference.