What does 'more often than not' mean?

What it means: Usually; in most cases; happening more than 50% of the time. It suggests frequency without claiming something always happens.

"More often than not, the first idea isn't the best one."
"More often than not, meetings could have been emails."
"It works more often than not."

What it implies: A pattern that's common but not universal. There are exceptions, and the speaker acknowledges them. It's an honest statement about frequency.

How it differs from "usually": "More often than not" is slightly more conversational and perhaps more modest. "Usually" is clean and direct. "More often than not" acknowledges uncertainty while still conveying frequency.

• "Usually" — most common alternative
• "In most cases" — more formal
• "Typically" — professional contexts
• "Nine times out of ten" — informal, implies very high frequency

Register: Casual to professional. Works in conversation and writing.

Tags: expressions, frequency, generalising, everyday English