frequent
Americanadjective
-
happening or occurring at short intervals.
to make frequent trips to Tokyo.
-
constant, habitual, or regular.
a frequent guest.
-
located at short distances apart.
frequent towns along the shore.
verb (used with object)
-
frequents,
present (3rd person singular)
-
frequented,
past participle, past
-
frequenting
present participle
adjective
-
recurring at short intervals
-
constant or habitual
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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frequenternoun
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frequentnessnoun
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frequentableadjective
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nonfrequentadjective
-
overfrequentadjective
-
unfrequentadjective
-
unfrequentableadjective
-
well-frequentedadjective
-
frequentlyadverb
-
nonfrequentlyadverb
-
overfrequentlyadverb
-
unfrequentlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
frequentsimple
-
frequentssimple
-
have frequentedperfect
-
has frequentedperfect
-
am frequentingprogressive
-
are frequentingprogressive
-
is frequentingprogressive
-
have been frequentingperfect progressive
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has been frequentingperfect progressive
Past
-
frequentedsimple
-
had frequentedperfect
-
was frequentingprogressive
-
were frequentingprogressive
-
had been frequentingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of frequent
First recorded in 1400–50; (for the adjective) late Middle English: “ample, profuse,” from Latin frequent-, stem of frequēns “crowded, full, repeated”; verb derivative of the adjective
Explanation
Use the adjective frequent to describe something done often and at regular intervals. If your family likes to read, you may be a frequent visitor to the library. You may also have frequent arguments with your family about who gets to read a book first. The adjective form of frequent also means regularly and often encountered. If you live on the windward side of Oahu, Hawaii, you may experience frequent rain showers. As a verb, frequent means to be a regular visitor or to patronize. You can frequent the trails of the National Parks. You may prefer to frequent locally-owned businesses.
Vocabulary lists containing frequent
List 3
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Academic Vocabulary: Core Tier 2 Words, List 2
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Rosetta Stone's Essential Academic Vocabulary: Lesson 3
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Still, a look at the past six years of corrections for the Russell 2000 shows such pullbacks have been pretty frequent, but mostly short-lived, as the below chart shows.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026
Le Ngoc Mai Uyen was a frequent visitor to the park named after her grandmother, revolutionary fighter Le Thi Rieng, before she realised her relative's body may be buried there.
From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026
Some bags—like the hard-shell United case he uses to carry medications—get frequent use.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
"These changes are frequent, usually benign, and are not a reason to stop an effective treatment on one's own initiative," he said.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026
A frequent visitor to the Library of Congress, Garfield asked the librarians for book recommendations, which he borrowed or purchased to expand his knowledge of history, philosophy, and other subjects.
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
Sitting opposite Hunter at a luncheonette he frequents on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, I can’t help feeling like I’ve been cast in one of his plays.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
She shared a photo in the Amateur Microscopy Facebook group she frequents, noting it’s “the most famous algae in the world right now!!”
From Slate ● Jun. 27, 2026
She plans to rewear an old dress for her son’s college graduation next month after being shocked by the $100-plus prices at the online retailers she frequents.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 28, 2026
The Ocean's Twelve star said she also frequents flea markets and buys artwork while travelling.
From BBC ● Feb. 13, 2026
He frequents a discotheque with a $7 entry fee.
From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario
At El Nopal, a regional Mexican chain my family has frequented for years, the opening minutes of dinner follow a familiar choreography.
From Salon ● Oct. 7, 2026
The country's stations also serve as restaurants, meeting places and sometimes even bars, frequented by some military personnel but mostly civilians.
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
Today, the park is Greenville’s heart and lungs, frequented by joggers, walkers and cyclists.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026
The properties are right on the water and have been frequented by several high-profile guests over the years, including Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Jennifer Aniston, and former President Barack Obama.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 3, 2026
Henry Waters Taft, a well- known antitrust lawyer and brother to President William Howard Taft, frequented the Greenbrier, and one day in the store, Katherine taught him Roman numerals.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
I got my driver’s license and started frequenting independent coffee shops with exposed brick and pour-overs.
From Salon ● Mar. 31, 2026
“To the extent that people are frequenting those types of places less, you’re having a reduction in opportunities for offending.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 14, 2026
As Wong and her team fought back, residents continued frequenting the space, donating their own books, tables and benches.
From BBC ● Mar. 7, 2026
According to Woodward, the otter now frequenting Steamer Lane has been actively pursuing surfers nearly every day since Oct.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 24, 2025
Rowan didn’t know if it was his imagination, but there seemed to be more scythes and known celebrities frequenting Goddard’s parties than when he first arrived.
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
