frequency
[ free-kwuhn-see ]
/ ˈfri kwən si /
noun, plural fre·quen·cies.
Also fre·quence.
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 of frequency
SYNONYMS FOR frequency
OTHER WORDS FROM frequency
non·fre·quence, noun non·fre·quen·cy, noun o·ver·fre·quen·cy, noun un·der·fre·quen·cy, noun, plural un·der·fre·quen·cies.Words nearby frequency
Example sentences from the Web for frequency
British Dictionary definitions for frequency
frequency
/ (ˈfriːkwənsɪ) /
noun plural -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
Symbol: 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 for frequency
C16: from Latin
frequentia a large gathering, from
frequēns numerous, crowded
Scientific definitions for frequency
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.
Cultural definitions for frequency
frequency
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.