LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
adjectivethird-declension one-termination adjective

frequēns

frequēns (genitive frequentis, comparative frequentior, superlative frequentissimus, adverb frequenter)
Classical[ˈfrɛ.kʷẽːs]Ecclesiastical[ˈfrɛː.kʷens]
№ 918 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. one terminationcrowded, crammed, packed
  2. one terminationfilled with a multitude, filled, full, crowded, populous
    lucus ibi frequenti silva et proceris abietis arboribus saeptus2020 translation by J. C. Yardley Here, ringed by thick woods and towering fir trees, was a grove (literally, “The grove in that place was enclosed by a crowded forest and by tall fir trees”)27 BCE – 25 BCE, Titus Livius, Ab urbe condita 24.3
  3. one terminationfrequent, repeated

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Sæpe · Crebro · Frequenter · Frequentare · Celebrare

1. Sæpe denotes often, in opp. to semel, Suet. Ner. 33; nonnunquam, Cic. Or. 66; semper, like πολλάκις; whereas crebro and frequenter, in opp. to raro, Rhet. ad Her. iv. 23. Cic. Or. 66; crebro, often, and in quick succession, and rather too often than too seldom, like θαμά; but frequenter (partic. from farcire) often, and not too seldom; for in general creber denotes a multifarious assembly, inasmuch as it is dense and crowded; whereas frequens, inasmuch as it is numerously attended. Consequently, frequens rather implies praise, like largus; creber, blame, like spissus. And frequentes senatores denote the senate, when represented as complete; crebri senatores, as wanting room on account of their number, and forced to sit close. 2. Frequentare means to visit a place often, and not neglect it: whereas celebrare, to visit it often, and thereby to enliven it, and to fill it with festive sounds. (i. 17.)

Declension

singular
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativefrequēnsfrequēnsfrequēns
genitivefrequentisfrequentisfrequentis
dativefrequentīfrequentīfrequentī
accusativefrequentemfrequentemfrequēns
ablativefrequentī
frequente		frequentī
frequente		frequentī
frequente
vocativefrequēnsfrequēnsfrequēns
plural
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativefrequentēsfrequentēsfrequentia
genitivefrequentiumfrequentiumfrequentium
dativefrequentibusfrequentibusfrequentibus
accusativefrequentīs
frequentēs		frequentīs
frequentēs		frequentia
ablativefrequentibusfrequentibusfrequentibus
vocativefrequentēsfrequentēsfrequentia

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

edicere, ut senatus frequens adsit (Fam. 11. 6. 2)
to issue a proclamation calling on the senators to assemble in full force.

frĕquens, entis, adj. root φρακ-, φράσσω, to enclose, make close; Lat. farcio, fartilis, etc.; cf. Germ. Berg, Burg,
I. that takes place repeatedly, often, or frequently, often, frequent (class.; syn.: celeber, creber).
I. Lit.
A. Of persons, that is often at a place, or that often does a thing, regular, constant, repeated (syn.: assiduus, creber, multus): erat ille Romae frequens, in foro et in ore omnium cottidie versabatur, Cic. Rosc. Am. 6, 16: quibuscum si frequentes sunt, id. Off. 2, 13, 46; cf. Ter. Ad. 1, 1, 80.— Comp.: quod filium frequentiorem prope cum illis quam secum cernebat, Liv. 39, 53, 11: Demosthenes frequens fuit Platonis auditor, an assiduous hearer, Cic. Or. 4, 45: nos autem in hoc genere (orationis) frequentes, id. ib. 50, 167: sed in utroque frequentiores sunt poëtae, id. ib. 60, 202; cf. spectator, Quint. 10, 5, 19: conviva, Mart. 9, 98, 10: frequentem ad signa esse, Liv. 3, 24, 5: adesse senatui, Tac. A. 4, 55; so with dat.: contionibus, id. H. 4, 69 fin.: secretis, id. A. 4, 3: in ore frequens posteritatis eris, Ov. P. 2, 6, 34: frequens te audivi atque affui, Cic. de Or. 1, 57, 243.—Poet. with inf.: hic hominum casus lenire et demere fatis Jura frequens, Stat. Th. 7, 706.—
B. Of inanim. and abstr. things, repeated, often, frequent, common, usual: mihi frequentem operam dedistis, Plaut. Cist. 1, 1, 7: (senectus) caret epulis exstructisque mensis et frequentibus poculis, Cic. de Sen. 13, 44: frequentiores (lactucae) in cibo, Plin. 20, 7, 26, § 68: frequentes litterae, Suet. Tib. 11: edicta, id. Ner. 41: iambus et trochaeus frequens, Cic. de Or. 3, 47, 182; cf.: (verbum igitur) cum apud alios sit etiam frequens, apud alios numquam reperiatur, Quint. 1, 5, 39: opera (= assidua), Plaut. Cist. 1, 1, 7; cf. Varr. L. L. 7, § 99: frequentiora latrocinia, Asin. Poll. ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 31, 1: familiaritas, Nep. Att. 19 fin.: honores, id. Phoc. 1: comparationis usus, Quint. 8, 6, 14: frequentior usus anulorum, Plin. 33, 1, 6, § 17; cf.: nec fuit alia gemma apud antiquos usu frequentior, id. 37, 7, 31, § 106: frequentior fama, Liv. 2, 32, 3: sententia, held or adopted by many, Plin. Ep. 2, 11, 6: frequens apud Graecos adagium, Gell. 1, 8, 4; cf. Quint. 8, 6, 37: id frequentius est, quam ut exemplis confirmandum sit, id. 4, 1, 75; 9, 2, 53: esse videatur, jam nimis frequens, octonarium incohat, id. 9, 4, 73.— With a subject-clause: erat adhuc frequens senatoribus, si quid, etc....loco sententiae promere, = usitatum, Tac. A. 2, 33: parere ergo exceptionem rei judicatae, frequens est, Dig. 44, 2, 6.
II. Transf., of a multitude, assembled in great numbers, full, crowded, numerous: videt multos equites Romanos, frequentes praeterea cives atque socios, Cic. Verr. 1, 3, 7: refert etiam, qui audiant, frequentes an pauci an singuli, id. de Or. 3, 55, 211: major frequentiorque legatio, Liv. 5, 5, 10: senatus fuit frequentior quam, etc.... frequentes fuimus, omnino ad ducentos, Cic. Q. Fr. 2, 1, 1: senatus frequens convenit, id. Fam. 10, 12, 3; cf.: senatus frequens vocatu Drusi in curiam venit, id. de Or. 3, 1, 2; Plaut. Mil. 2, 6, 111; cf. also: frequentissimo senatu, Cic. Phil. 2, 38, 99: ad frequentiores consultatio dilata, Liv. 35, 7, 1: legem populi frequentis suffragiis abrogare, Cic. Brut. 62, 222: mane Germani frequentes ad eum in castra venerunt, in great numbers, Caes. B. G. 4, 13, 4; cf.: eodem conveniunt undique frequentes, id. ib. 7, 63, 6; id. B. C. 1, 13, 1: frequenti consessu, Suet. Aug. 44: convivio frequenti, id. Caes. 31; id. Tib. 61: frequenti auditorio, id. Claud. 41: equites Romani, qui frequentissimi in gradibus Concordiae steterunt, Cic. Phil. 7, 8, 21: huc postero die quam frequentissimi conveniunt, Caes. B. G. 4, 11, 5: frequens ibi hic piscis, Plin. 9, 59, 85, § 180: huc frequens Caementa demittit redemptor Cum famulis (poet. for famulis frequentibus), Hor. C. 3, 1, 34.—
B. Of places filled with a multitude, filled, full, crowded, populous, much frequented, well stocked (syn.: plenus, abundans).— Constr. absol., with abl., and in Tac. also with gen.
(a). Absol.: frequentissimum theatrum, Cic. Div. 1, 28 fin.: sic ut nulla (praefectura) tota Italia frequentior dici possit, more populous, id. Planc. 8, 21: ei processit, ut est frequens municipium magna multitudo, id. Phil. 2, 41, 106: Numidia, Sall. J. 78 fin.: celebre et frequens emporium, much frequented, Liv. 38, 18, 11: via, Ov. A. A. 1, 585; cf. compita, Hor. S. 2, 3, 26: ludi, id. Carm. Sec. 22; cf. pompa, Ov. A. A. 1, 147.—
(b). With abl. (since the Aug. per.): cum situm moeniaque et frequentem tectis urbem vidissent, Liv. 1, 9, 9: loca aedificiis, id. 31, 23, 5: Aegyptus multis (urbibus), Plin. 5, 9, 11, § 60: terra colubris, Ov. M. 4, 620: Sinuessa niveis columbis, id. ib. 15, 715: silva trabibus, id. ib. 8, 328; cf.: locus piceis ilicibusque, id. H. 16, 54: nemus agrestium pavonum multitudine frequens, Curt. 9, 2, 13: Nilus feris et beluis, Plin. 5, 9, 10, § 53: amnis vorticibus, Ov. M. 9, 106: vivarium piscibus, Col. 8, 16, 4: pharetra telis Lernaeis, Sen. Herc. Fur. 1233.—Comp.: utra pars frequentior vicis esset, Liv. 35, 11, 5.—*
(g). With gen.: quod talis silvae frequens fecundusque erat (mons), Tac. A. 4, 65.—Hence, adv.: frĕ-quenter.
1. (Acc. to I.) Often, frequently (not freq. till after the Aug. per.): ut frequenter et assidue consequamur artis rationem studio et exercitatione, Auct. Her. 4, 56, 69: ad aliquem frequenter ventitare, Cic. Rep. 1, 9 (Moser, frequentes); cf.: gratior (erat) Alexandro frequenter in officinam ventitanti, Plin. 35, 10, 36, § 85: praecipue quidem apud Ciceronem, frequenter tamen apud Asinium, Quint. 1, 8, 11: frequenter in his etiam conjecturae locus est, nonnumquam tractatur aliqua finitio: aliquando etiam legales possunt incidere tractatus, id. 3, 8, 4: habet usum talis allegoriae frequenter oratio, sed raro totius, id. 8, 6, 47: continuo aut certe nimium frequenter, id. 9, 1, 11; opp. semper, id. 12, 1, 3; v. infra.—Comp.: quod et M. Cicero scripto ad Brutum libro frequentius testatur, Quint. 1, 10, 4: haec ad conjecturam frequentius pertinent, sed interim ad jus quoque, id. 5, 10, 38: ne plebs frumentationum causa frequentius a negotiis avocaretur, Suet. Aug. 40: non alias missi cecidere frequentius ignes, Ov. F. 3, 287.—Sup.: translatione frequentissime sermo omnis utitur, Cic. Or. 24, 81: non semper, etiamsi frequentissime, tuenda veritas erit, Quint. 2, 17, 36; Suet. Aug. 43.—
2. (Acc. to II.) Numerously, in great numbers, by many (very rare): huic frequenter interceditur, Cic. Att. 1, 19, 5: Romam inde frequenter migratum est, Liv. 1, 11, 4.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*bʰrekʷ-der.?
  2. Proto-Italic*frekʷents
  3. Latinfrequēns

From Proto-Italic *frekʷents. On the basis of such Latin words as frequens, fraxō (“to patrol”), farciō (“to cram, stuff”) and Ancient Greek φράσσω (phrássō, “to fence in, block”), Proto-Indo-European *bʰrekʷ- (“to stuff”) has been reconstructed. A derivation from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerǵʰ- (“high”) has less support, considering the semantic distance.

Descendants
  • Catalanfreqüent
  • Englishfrequent
  • Frenchfréquent
  • Italianfrequente
  • Occitanfrequent
  • Portuguesefrequente
  • Romanianfrecvent
  • Spanishfrecuente
  • Galicianfrecuente
  • Sicilianfriquenti

Quick answers

What does frequēns mean in Latin?
frequēns, a adjective, means “crowded, crammed, packed; filled with a multitude, filled, full, crowded, populous; frequent, repeated”.
How do you pronounce frequēns?
In classical Latin, [ˈfrɛ.kʷẽːs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈfrɛː.kʷens].
Where does frequēns come from?
Proto-Indo-European *bʰrekʷ-der.? → Proto-Italic *frekʷents → Latin frequēns.