What does "frequent" mean?
To visit often.
Frequent
/ˈfɹiː.kwənt/ adj, verb
adj, verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: To visit often.
- Grammar: frequent is listed as adj, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: affect, attend, automatic, beaten.
- Useful contrasts: rare, secular, uncommon.
- Usage evidence: The teacher was worried by Tom's frequent absence from class.
How to use "frequent"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "frequent" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "frequent" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "frequent" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "frequent" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "frequent" is acting as adj, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "affect" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "frequent", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Verb
- 1 To visit often. transitive
"I used to frequent that restaurant."
- 2 be a regular or frequent visitor to a certain place wordnet
- 3 do one's shopping at; do business with; be a customer or client of wordnet
Adjective
- 1 Done or occurring often; common.
"I take frequent breaks so I don't get too tired."
- 2 Occurring at short intervals.
"Above, the frequent feudal towers / Through green leaves lift their walls of grey, [...]"
- 3 Addicted to any course of conduct; inclined to indulge in any practice; habitual; persistent.
"[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 Full; crowded; thronged. obsolete
"'Tis Caesar's will to have a frequent senate."
- 5 Often or commonly reported. obsolete
"'Tis frequent in the city he hath subdued / The Catti and the Daci."
Adjective
- 1 frequently encountered wordnet
- 2 coming at short intervals or habitually wordnet
Antonyms
Example
"The teacher was worried by Tom's frequent absence from class."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "frequent"?
Common synonyms include: affect, attend, automatic, beaten, buy at, common.
How do you use "frequent" in a sentence?
The teacher was worried by Tom's frequent absence from class.
How do you pronounce "frequent"?
Pronounced /ˈfɹiː.kwənt/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Old French frequent, from Latin frequens (“crowded, crammed, frequent, repeated, etc.”), possibly from a Proto-Indo-European *bʰrekʷ- (“to cram together”).
Etymology 2
From Old French frequenter, from Latin frequentare (“to fill, crowd, visit often, do or use often, etc.”), from frequens (“frequent, crowded”).