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occur frequently
/əˈkɜːr ˈfriːkwəntli/
happen often
Traffic jams occur frequently during rush hour in big cities.
Traffic jams happen regularly when people travel to or from work.
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
Related Phrases
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
verbfrequently
often or regularly
adverbEnglish Dictionary