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frequency

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

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English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Latin frequentia, from frequens. By surface analysis, frequent +‎ -cy.

Pronunciation

Noun

frequency (countable and uncountable, plural frequencies)

  1. (uncountable or countable) The rate of occurrence of anything; the relationship between incidence and time period.
    With growing confidence, the Viking’s raids increased in frequency.
    The frequency of bus service has been improved from one every 15 to one every 12 minutes.
  2. (uncountable) The property of occurring often rather than infrequently.
    The FAQ addresses questions that come up with some frequency.
    The frequency of the visits was what annoyed him.
  3. (countable) The quotient of the number of times a periodic phenomenon occurs over the time in which it occurs: .
    The frequency of the musical note A above middle C is 440 oscillations per second.
    The frequency of a wave is its velocity divided by its wavelength : .
    Broadcasting live at a frequency of 98.3 megahertz, we’re your rock alternative!
    The frequency for electric power in the Americas is generally 60 Hz rather than 50.
    • 1958 January, 'Borderer', “Ten Years of British Railways”, in Railway Magazine, page 15:
      […] the Plan incorporates in proper combination every available modern technique, including extensive electrification on the new standard high-voltage a.c. system at a frequency of 50 cycles; main-line diesel traction as a half-way house to electrification; lightweight diesel trains for secondary and branch services; and a smaller wagon fleet doing more work by the use of continuous brakes in conjunction with modernised terminals and marshalling yards.
    • 1976, James Martin, Telecommunications and the Computer:
      36 MHz transponder providing a pool of 794 reallocatable frequencies.
    • 2015, Patrick R. Nicolas, Scala for Machine Learning, page 109:
      In this case, a band-pass filter using a range or window of frequencies is appropriate to isolate the frequency or the group of frequencies that characterize a specific cycle.
  4. A tone, character, mood, or vibe
    • 2023 August 31, Frankie de la Cretaz, “Postcard from Camp Gaylore”, in Cosmopolitan‎:
      And if you haven’t picked up on the gay frequencies in her lyrics, her wig choices, and her possible lesbian salutes? Maybe that’s because they weren’t meant for you. IYKYK.
  5. (statistics) number of times an event occurred in an experiment (absolute frequency)
  6. (telecommunications) range of electromagnetic waves used for wireless communication in devices like radios, TVs and mobile phones

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • (antonym(s) of “rate of occurrence”): period

Derived terms

Translations

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked

See also

Further reading

Anagrams

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