frequent
Americanadjective
-
happening or occurring at short intervals.
to make frequent trips to Tokyo.
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constant, habitual, or regular.
a frequent guest.
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located at short distances apart.
frequent towns along the shore.
verb (used with object)
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
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overfrequentadjective
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unfrequentadjective
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unfrequentableadjective
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well-frequentedadjective
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frequentlyadverb
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nonfrequentlyadverb
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overfrequentlyadverb
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unfrequentlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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frequentsimple
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frequentssimple
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have frequentedperfect
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has frequentedperfect
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am frequentingprogressive
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are frequentingprogressive
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is frequentingprogressive
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have been frequentingperfect progressive
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has been frequentingperfect progressive
Past
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frequentedsimple
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had frequentedperfect
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was frequentingprogressive
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were frequentingprogressive
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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:
Screenwriters, journalists and famed L.A. writers Joan Didion and John Gregory Dunne were also known to frequent the restaurant.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
The conditions the UK is experiencing so far this summer mirror the warnings given by climate scientists that human-induced climate change would lead to more frequent and intense heatwaves, as well as potential summer droughts.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
“As someone who exercises every day, I also noticed that I did not have the energy to do that, and I would have to make frequent restroom visits.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
Those infected may be asymptomatic or experience uncomfortable symptoms, including “watery diarrhea with frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements.”
From Salon ● Jul. 13, 2026
True or not, Abramov was becoming more than annoyed by Bobby’s brashness and frequent distemper.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
It is hourly in the afternoons and the council said it had asked operators SPT if more frequents services were possible, but were told there was not enough demand to justify it.
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 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
Hotel rooms in an area of Utah he frequents should be no more than $110.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 30, 2026
Derby Line resident Jonas Horsky, a Franco-American who frequents the library for its bilingual catalogue, told AFP he felt "nostalgic" for the days of unencumbered cross-border travel.
From Barron's ● Oct. 25, 2025
This is not the sort of woman who usually frequents gallery openings, of any kind.
From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood
The Fashion District, frequented by nearly 2 million people a year, has deep ties to L.A.’s immigrant communities.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 7, 2026
The cave in question is frequented by villagers looking for gold deposits, Bounkham Luanglath, who leads the Laos' Rescue Volunteer for People, told the Associated Press.
From BBC ● May 26, 2026
Separately, the Iranian cargo ship that U.S. forces seized in the Gulf of Oman this weekend is part of a fleet that frequented China, one of Tehran’s most important backers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 20, 2026
Back in 1879, those clerks and salesmen and their wives who frequented bucket shops understood they were operating outside the bounds of Wall Street.
From Barron's ● Apr. 7, 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
Ashouri, a U.S. citizen, spent her childhood frequenting businesses in Westwood, but she no longer feels comfortable there, fearing some sort of altercation.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2026
There are multiple sequences of Jackson with kids, visiting children’s hospitals and frequenting toy stores to sign autographs until his hands are sore.
From Salon ● Apr. 25, 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
Kelce is a self-described theme-park “superfan” who grew up frequenting parks in his home state of Ohio, including Cedar Point.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2025
Snowball was secretly frequenting the farm by night*!
From "Animal Farm: A Fairy Story" by George Orwell
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.
