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occur frequently

/əˈkɜːr ˈfriːkwəntli/
verb phrase★Intermediate💡 happen often
neutral

To happen or appear often over a period of time.

Headaches occur frequently in people who work long hours at computers.

People who work long hours at computers often get headaches.

Errors occur frequently in this software if you don't update it regularly.

This software often has errors if you don't update it regularly.

💡

Used to describe events, conditions, or behaviors that repeat regularly.

Collocations

occur frequentlyhappen oftenfrequently occurringhappening often

Synonyms

happen oftenrecur regularlybe commonbe prevalent

Antonyms

rarely occurseldom happenbe uncommon

Related Phrases

occur regularlyphrase
happen at fixed intervals
occur occasionallyphrase
happen sometimes but not often

💡Pro Tip

Use with time expressions

Pair 'occur frequently' with time expressions like 'in summer', 'at night', or 'during meetings' to specify when something happens often.

⚡Gold Rule

Avoid redundancy

Do not use 'occur frequently' when 'often' or 'frequently' alone would suffice. For example, 'This error occurs frequently' is better than 'This error occurs very frequently'.

📖Word Origin

From Latin 'occurrere' (to run to meet, present itself) + 'frequens' (frequent, numerous). 'Occur' entered English in the 16th century, while 'frequently' derives from Latin 'frequentare' (to do often). Combined as a phrase in the 18th century.

📝Usage Notes

This phrase is commonly used in academic, technical, and everyday contexts to describe repeated events. It is more formal than 'happen a lot' but less formal than 'be recurrent'.

Word Breakdown

occur
to happen or take place
verb
+
frequently
often or regularly
adverb
English Dictionary

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Words of the Year

The most notable words that defined each year. Discover the vocabulary that shaped our world.