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
-
frequentnessnoun
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frequentableadjective
-
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
-
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:
But a report by the Ada Lovelace Institute, external found AI tools made frequent errors in care assessments, some of which found their way into finalised reports.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
"Both are costs that can add up for frequent travellers," the CMA said.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
He accused Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas last September of using “street verbiage” in her frequent criticisms of Trump.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
Indonesia experiences frequent earthquakes due to its location in the Pacific "Ring of Fire", an arc of intense seismic activity stretching from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
Here, a small fire of sod flickered on a tiny, ash-laden hearth, and gave out frequent puffs of sharp, nose-tingling smoke.
From "The Black Cauldron" by Lloyd Alexander
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
“People treat the groups as their own personal Google,” says Karen Wyant, a California retiree who frequents Facebook cruise groups for tips.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 25, 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
Abraham is a two-hour bus ride from the programs she frequents, and even further from the neighbors she’d grown to rely on.
From Slate ● Oct. 8, 2025
He told her about the wild and crazy parties he frequents with his entourage of drag queens, which got Lorena worked up.
From "I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter" by Erika L. Sánchez
Today, the park is Greenville’s heart and lungs, frequented by joggers, walkers and cyclists.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026
A new study published Wednesday in Current Biology found that on Washington state's Olympic Peninsula, vehicle collisions with deer fall by as much as 76 percent in areas highly frequented by mountain lions.
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 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
For Angelenos who frequented the Ace Hotel, a maverick venue that helped revitalize downtown L.A. for a decade beginning in 2014, walking through Stile will feel both familiar and new.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026
The only person left in town to mourn for Graham was a woman the riders called Mother Harrison, operator of a Turkish bath that Graham and Luther had frequented.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
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
Zach Haroutunian was a student in Boston in 2014 when he began frequenting Saks Fifth Avenue for Balenciaga sneakers, Dolce & Gabbana bags and other designer clothes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 25, 2025
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
John found great comfort in reading Spiritualist publications and started frequenting mediums.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
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.
