frequency

[free-kwuh n-see] /ˈfri kwən si/

noun, plural frequencies.

Also, frequence. the state or fact of being frequent; frequent occurrence:

We are alarmed by the frequency of fires in the neighborhood.

rate of occurrence:

The doctor has increased the frequency of his visits.

Physics.

the number of periods or regularly occurring events of any given kind in unit of time, usually in one second.
the number of cycles or completed alternations per unit time of a wave or oscillation. Symbol: F;
Abbreviation: freq.

Mathematics. the number of times a value recurs in a unit change of the independent variable of a given function.

Statistics. the number of items occurring in a given category.

Compare relative frequency.

Origin

1545-55; < Latin frequentia assembly, multitude, crowd. See frequent, -cy

Related forms

nonfrequence, noun

nonfrequency, noun

overfrequency, noun

underfrequency, noun, plural underfrequencies.

Synonyms

1. regularity, repetition, recurrence.

Examples from the web for frequency

But in its abundance of sentiment and frequency of moral purpose, it has elements which the novel of roguery lacked.
Influences of disturbance size and frequency on landscape structure.
The second thing to think about is the frequency at which the courses are offered.
There are cultural differences in the type and frequency of play.
The water lit and kept burning as long as it remained in the radio frequency field.
On the other end are frequency regulation technologies that help cope with much smaller ups and downs over the course of a day.
But the frequency of twin births is a decades-old mystery.
But according to herpetologists, snakes are unable to hear sounds in the same frequency band as humans.
In the past, geologists have been able to forecast landslides by looking at past magnitude and frequency.
The magazine rapidly expanded in both publishing frequency and circulation size.

British Dictionary definitions for frequency

frequency

/ˈfriːkwənsɪ/

noun (pl) -cies

the state of being frequent; frequent occurrence

the number of times that an event occurs within a given period; rate of recurrence

(physics) the number of times that a periodic function or vibration repeats itself in a specified time, often 1 second. It is usually measured in hertz ν, f

(statistics)

the number of individuals in a class (absolute frequency)
the ratio of this number to the total number of individuals under survey (relative frequency)

(ecology)

the number of individuals of a species within a given area
the percentage of quadrats that contains individuals of a species

Also called (for senses 1, 2) frequence

Word Origin

C16: from Latin frequentia a large gathering, from frequēns numerous, crowded

Word Origin and History for frequency

1640s, "fact of occurring often," from Latin frequentia "a crowding, crowd," from frequentem (see frequent).

Earlier it had been used in a now-obsolete sense of "state of being crowded" (mid-16c.); sense in physics, "rate of recurrence," especially of a vibration, is from 1831. In radio electronics, frequency modulation (1922, abbreviated F.M.) as a system of broadcasting is distinguished from amplitude modulation (or A.M.).

frequency in Science

frequency

(frē'kwən-sē)

Physics The rate at which a repeating event occurs, such as the full cycle of a wave. Frequencies are usually measured in hertz. Compare amplitude. See also period.
Mathematics The ratio of the number of occurrences of some event to the number of opportunities for its occurrence.

frequency in Culture

frequency definition

In physics, the number of crests of a wave that move past a given point in a given unit of time. The most common unit of frequency is the hertz (Hz), corresponding to one crest per second. The frequency of a wave can be calculated by dividing the speed of the wave by the wavelength. Thus, in the electromagnetic spectrum, the wavelengths decrease as the frequencies increase, and vice versa.