Word
oftentimes
Phoneticsof·ten·times
US/ˈɔfənˌtaɪmz/
UK/ˈɒfɪntˌaɪmz/
Definition
adv. many times or on many occasions. It is a slightly more formal or old-fashioned way to say 'often'.
adv. frequently or repeatedly. While synonymous with 'often', it is frequently perceived as more literary or emphatic in North American English.
Examples
“Oftentimes, the simplest solution is the best one.”
“Oftentimes, small businesses struggle to compete with the marketing budgets of larger corporations during the holiday season.”
“Oftentimes, the historical records of a region are shaped more by the biases of the victors than by the objective reality of the events themselves.”
Examples
simple
“Oftentimes, the simplest solution is the best one.”
contextual
“Oftentimes, small businesses struggle to compete with the marketing budgets of larger corporations during the holiday season.”
complex
“Oftentimes, the historical records of a region are shaped more by the biases of the victors than by the objective reality of the events themselves.”
Usage
Frequency adverb — typically placed at the beginning of a sentence or before the main verb.
Real-World Examples
“I was in this condition for nearly three years: -- oftentimes I was not able to lift my hand to my head, nor a tea-cup to my mouth'.” “Oftentimes, kids play healers, and by the time they hit 14 their characters are quite powerful and sought-after.” “Japanese label Wacko Maria oftentimes has fun liner patterns.” Etymology
Inherited from the Middle English oftentymes; equivalent to oftentime + -s. Compare oftentime.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/oftentimes