Reading Theme:
Frequency: Definition, Examples, and Usage (2 meaning)
Meaning 1：occurrence rate (frequency)
frequency
/ˈfriːkwənsi/
n.
How often something happens within a specific period of time.
occurrence rate
➕
/əˈkɜːrəns reɪt/
n.
The measure of how many times an event happens over a given period.
📘 Details & Usage
📖 Root Explanation
From Latin 'frequens' (frequent) + '-ency' (state or quality).
💡 Mnemonic
Think of 'FREQ' as 'Free QUestion' – ask how often? That's frequency.
📖 Example
To improve your English, increasing the frequency of your reading practice is more effective than just reading for a long time once a week.
To improve your English, increasing the frequency of your reading practice is more effective than just reading for a long time once a week.
🔗 Collocations
high frequency – occurring often
low frequency – occurring rarely
frequency of use – how often something is used
🔄 Synonyms
rate (n.) – a measure of how often something happens
incidence (n.) – the frequency of occurrence of something
prevalence (n.) – the fact of being widespread in a particular area or at a particular time
🚫 Antonyms
rarity (n.) – the state of being infrequent
infrequency (n.) – the quality of not happening often
scarcity (n.) – insufficient frequency or amount
🌱 Derivatives
frequent (adj.) – happening often
frequently (adv.) – at frequent intervals
frequenter (n.) – a person who goes to a place often
📖 Cultural Story
Derived from Latin 'frequens' meaning 'crowded' or 'repeated'. It entered English via French 'frequence' and evolved to denote how often events occur.
Meaning 2：wave frequency (frequency)
frequency
/ˈfriːkwənsi/
n.
The number of times a wave (like sound or radio) vibrates or repeats in one second.
wave frequency
➕
/weɪv ˈfriːkwənsi/
n.
The number of oscillations or cycles a wave completes in one second, measured in hertz.
📘 Details & Usage
📖 Example
This old radio allows you to tune into different stations by adjusting the frequency dial.
This old radio allows you to tune into different stations by adjusting the frequency dial.
🔗 Collocations
high-frequency waves – waves with many cycles per second
low-frequency sound – sound with few vibrations per second
frequency band – a range of frequencies
🔄 Synonyms
hertz (n.) – the unit of frequency, equivalent to one cycle per second
pitch (n.) – the perceived frequency of a sound wave (high pitch = high frequency)
oscillation rate (n.) – the speed at which something oscillates
🌱 Derivatives
frequential (adj.) – relating to frequency
frequencies (n.) – plural form of frequency
frequency modulation (n.) – a method of encoding information in a carrier wave by varying the frequency
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