Oftener Meaning: Definition, Examples, and Translations
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oftener
of-ten-er
Definition
frequency comparison
Oftener is an informal comparative form of the adverb 'often'. It describes something that occurs with greater frequency than another. While it’s less commonly used than 'more often', it serves the same purpose in comparing occurrences.
Synonyms
more frequently, more often, more regularly.
Examples of usage
- I go to the gym oftener than I used to.
- He calls his mom oftener than his sister does.
- We meet for coffee oftener since we moved closer.
Translations
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Quick facts about “oftener”
Oftener is a 3-syllable adverb (of-ten-er). It is pronounced /ˈɔfənɝ/ in American English and /ˈɒfənɐ/ in British English. On finesentence.com it has 1 meaning, 3 synonyms, and translations into 21 languages.
Origin of 'oftener'
The word 'oftener' derives from the Middle English word 'ofte', which itself comes from Old English 'oft', meaning 'often'. The 'er' suffix is a common way in English to form comparative adverbs, meaning 'more'. The construction parallels other comparative pairs like 'long' and 'longer', and reflects a need in the language for a comparative degree in expressions of frequency. Though increasingly used in casual speech, 'oftener' is often replaced with 'more often' in formal contexts. The evolution of its use indicates the adaptive nature of English and its ability to create new forms based on existing grammatical structures.