Frequentissimus

Frequentissimus is a coined, Latin-inspired term used in some informal and pedagogical contexts to denote the most frequent element in a data set or distribution. It is not a standard term in formal statistics, where the equivalent concept is the mode, but frequentissimus is sometimes employed for stylistic or illustrative purposes.

Etymology and sense of the term derive from Latin frequentissimus, the superlative form of frequentus, meaning “most frequent” or “very frequent.” In modern usage, frequentissimus may appear as a descriptive label for the item, category, or value that occurs with the greatest frequency in a given sample.

Definition and usage: the frequentissimus is the item with the highest count in a distribution. When a data set has a single most common value, that value is the frequentissimus; if multiple values share the highest frequency, the distribution is multimodal, and several items may be considered frequentissimi. In standard analysis, one would refer to the mode or modal category, but frequentissimus can serve as a Latinized stand-in in examples, teaching materials, or fictional contexts.

Examples: in a survey of preferred fruits, if apples appear 40 times, bananas 35 times, and cherries 40 times, apples and cherries are tied as the frequentissimi. In text analysis, the most common word in a sample could be described as the frequentissimus word.

See also: mode, frequency distribution, frequency, statistics, Latin superlatives.

Notes: frequentissimus remains a niche or playful term rather than a conventional statistical label, and its use is typically confined to illustrative or creative writing.