ENGLISH
REFERENCE

more often than not

idiom
Meaning

Usually; more than half the time; more likely to be the case than not to be the case.


Origin

Origin obscure. Semantically equivalent to, and often understood as, an ellipsis of more often than not so. Possibly sometimes understood as more often than zero (see nought and naught), especially in reference to scales or gauges where mark zero represents the midpoint of measurement or frequency.

Examples
SIMPLE

More often than not, I walk to work instead of driving.

CONTEXTUAL

She's not perfect, but more often than not, her advice turns out to be exactly what I need.

COMPLEX

Though the city had its share of rainy days, the mornings broke clear and warm more often than not, as if the weather itself conspired to lift the spirits of its weary inhabitants.

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