frequent

frequent

See also: fréquent and freqüent

English

Etymology 1

From Old French frequent, from Latin frequens (crowded, crammed, frequent, repeated, etc.), possibly from a Proto-Indo-European *bʰrekʷ- (to cram together).[1][2]

Pronunciation

  • (General American, Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈfɹiː.kwənt/
  • Audio (US):(file)

Adjective

frequent (comparative more frequent or frequenter, superlative most frequent or frequentest)

  1. Done or occurring often; common.
    Synonyms: regular, recurring, usual; see also Thesaurus:common
    Antonyms: rare, uncommon; see also Thesaurus:rare
    I take frequent breaks so I don't get too tired.
    There are frequent trains to the beach available.
    I am a frequent visitor to that city.
    • 1999, Nicholas Walker, “The Reorientation of Critical Theory: Habermas”, in Simon Glemdinning, editor, The Edinburgh Encyclopedia of Continental Philosophy[1], Routledge, →ISBN, page 489:
      During the late 1950s and throughout the 1960s, this commitment brought him into frequent critical confrontation with entrenched forms of conservative thinking [...]
  2. Occurring at short intervals.
    Synonyms: continual, steady
  3. Addicted to any course of conduct; inclined to indulge in any practice; habitual; persistent.
    • 1709, [Jonathan Swift], A Project for the Advancement of Religion, and the Reformation of Manners. [], London: [] Benj[amin] Tooke, [], →OCLC, page 59:
      [E]very Man thinks he has laid in a ſufficient Stock of Merit, and my pretend to any Employment, provided he has been loud and frequent in declaring himſelf hearty for the Government.
  4. (obsolete) Full; crowded; thronged.
  5. (obsolete) Often or commonly reported.
Derived terms
Translations

Etymology 2

From Old French frequenter, from Latin frequentare (to fill, crowd, visit often, do or use often, etc.), from frequens (frequent, crowded).

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /fɹɪˈkwɛnt/
  • Rhymes: -ɛnt
  • Audio (US):(file)

Verb

frequent (third-person singular simple present frequents, present participle frequenting, simple past and past participle frequented)

  1. (transitive) To visit often.
    I used to frequent that restaurant.
Derived terms
Translations

References

  1. ^ De Vaan, Michiel (2008), “frequēns”, in Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 242
  2. ^ Schwartzman, The Words of Mathematics: An Etymological Dictionary of Mathematical Terms Used in English

Further reading

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from French frequent.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /frɛˈkʋɛnt/
  • Audio:(file)
  • Hyphenation: fre‧quent
  • Rhymes: -ɛnt

Adjective

frequent (comparative frequenter, superlative frequentst)

  1. frequent
    Synonyms: veelvuldig, vaak

Declension

Declension of frequent
uninflected frequent
inflected frequente
comparative frequenter
positive comparative superlative
predicative/adverbial frequent frequenter het frequentst
het frequentste
indefinite m./f. sing. frequente frequentere frequentste
n. sing. frequent frequenter frequentste
plural frequente frequentere frequentste
definite frequente frequentere frequentste
partitive frequents frequenters

Derived terms

Descendants

  • Indonesian: frekuen

German

Etymology

    Borrowed from Latin frequens.

    Pronunciation

    • IPA(key): [fʁeˈkvɛnt]
    • Hyphenation: fre‧quent
    • Audio (Germany (Berlin)):(file)

    Adjective

    frequent (strong nominative masculine singular frequenter, comparative frequenter, superlative am frequentesten)

    1. (formal) frequent
      Synonyms: häufig, zahlreich
    2. (medicine, dated, heart rate) accelerated

    Declension

    Further reading

    • frequent” in Duden online
    • frequent”, in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache[2] (in German)

    Old French

    Adjective

    frequent m (oblique and nominative feminine singular frequent or frequente)

    1. frequent; often

    Declension

    Case masculine feminine neuter
    singular subject frequenz frequente frequent
    oblique frequent frequente frequent
    plural subject frequent frequentes frequent
    oblique frequenz frequentes frequent

    Descendants