oftentimes

adverb

of·ten·times ˈȯ-fən-ˌtīmz

ˈȯf-tən-

Synonyms of oftentimes next

: on many occasions : often

The quickness of the hand oftentimes deceives the eye.—

W. V. Quine

Seemingly untoward events oftentimes lead to successful results.—

Herman Melville

Oftentimes they were asleep, but occasionally might be heard talking together …—

Nathaniel Hawthorne

A man's ignorance sometimes is not only useful, but beautiful – while his knowledge, so called, is oftentimes worse than useless …—

Henry David Thoreau

Oftentimes cyclists mistake dehydration for hunger.—

Brian Wansink

Did you know?

Despite its archaic, literary ring, oftentimes is quite alive today. In fact, it seems to be more popular now than it was in past decades, appearing frequently both in written expression and in speech. Oftentimes was first used in the 14th century (the same century that gave us often), and its meaning hasn't changed—as meanings oftentimes will—in all that time. It was formed as an extension of its slightly older synonym ofttimes. Today ofttimes is less common, but oft (which comes from Old English and also means "often" or "frequently") is popular in combination with past participles, as in oft-praised.

Examples of oftentimes in a Sentence

Oftentimes, he is the only man in the aerobics class. children oftentimes don't realize how quickly time passes

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Pelosi was House speaker during Trump's first term, oftentimes clashing with him. —

David Faris, Newsweek, 19 Jan. 2025 Unsettling, for sure, and oftentimes evil, but the subjective always seemed to be priority for Lynch. —

Maya Ibbitson, Architectural Digest, 17 Jan. 2025 The fraud involves operatives calling homeowners, who oftentimes had previously sought relief from their mortgage lender and thus were expected to be contacted, according to the FCC. —

Kate Gibson, CBS News, 14 Jan. 2025 For one, poor-quality diets can oftentimes cause weight gain, which can sometimes cause joint or other types of pain, Robert Sorge, PhD, professor of psychology and pain researcher at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, told Health.5 Inflammation is another likely culprit, experts agreed. —

Brian Mastroianni, Health, 3 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for oftentimes