Fréquent

Fréquent is a French adjective meaning that something occurs often or is common. It can describe events, conditions, places, or people that are encountered regularly. The masculine singular form is fréquent; the feminine is fréquente; the masculine plural fréquents; the feminine plural fréquentes. The adverbial form is fréquemment. The related verb is fréquenter, meaning to visit or attend frequently; the noun fréquentation denotes the act of frequenting.

Etymology: The word derives from Old French fréquent (also spelled fréquent), from Latin frequentus “crowded, well-attended,” itself from frequens, frequentis “crowded, frequent,” related to frequenter “to frequent” in French.

Usage: Fréquent is used to indicate regular occurrence or commonness. For example: un quartier fréquent (a frequently visited area) or une maladie fréquente (a common illness). For places that are regularly visited, French often uses fréquenté: Ce quartier est fréquenté par les touristes. The adverb fréquemment expresses the degree of frequency, as in La maladie est fréquemment présente durant l’hiver.

Nuance: Fréquent et fréquente imply regular occurrence, but not necessarily intensity; they describe how often something happens rather than who visits. They are often contrasted with rare or occasionnel. Common synonyms include courant and habituel; the term fréquenter is used for the action of visiting, while fréquenté describes the state of being visited.

See also: fréquenter; fréquence; fréquemment; fréquentation.