frequentem

Frequentem is a Latin word form that appears as the accusative singular of the present participle/adjective frequens, frequentis, which carries the sense “crowded,” “full of people,” or more broadly “frequent” or “often occurring.” The base adjective frequens belongs to the group of third-declension -ens adjectives and has both literal and figurative senses.

In grammar, frequentem is the form used when the noun it modifies is in the accusative case. As with other -ens adjectives, its ending signals gender, number, and case, with the participial nature giving the form a somewhat verbal nuance in addition to its adjectival use.

The semantic range of frequentem covers several related ideas. Literally, it can describe a place or object that is densely populated or repeatedly occurring. Figuratively, it can signify something common, widespread, or habitual. Because it derives from a participle, frequens can function in contexts that convey ongoing or repeated action in relation to the noun it modifies.

In scholarly and literary Latin, frequentem and related forms appear in both prose and poetry, often in phrases that denote crowding, repetition, or frequency. The form is of particular interest to students of Latin morphology and ancient grammar, serving as an example of how participles develop adjectival meanings and how -ens adjectives decline.

See also frequens, frequentis; Latin grammar; third-declension -ens adjectives.