Infrequent: meaning, definitions and examples

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infrequent

 

[ ษชnหˆfriหkwษ™nt ]

Adjective / Adverb
Context #1 | Adjective

rarely occurring

Not happening often; rare; uncommon.

Synonyms

rare, scarce, uncommon.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

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Word Description / Examples
infrequent

Used to describe events, actions, or occurrences that do not happen often but may still follow a pattern or schedule.

  • His trips to the gym are infrequent but regular.
  • We had infrequent meetings to discuss the project.
rare

Implies that something is very uncommon and happens only once in a while. Often used to describe something valuable or extraordinary.

  • It's rare to find a restaurant that is open 24 hours in this town.
  • Seeing a comet is a rare event.
scarce

Describes something that is in limited supply or hard to find. Often used for resources or commodities.

  • During the drought, clean water was scarce.
  • Jobs in that industry are scarce due to economic downturn.
uncommon

Used to describe something that is unusual or not often seen but not necessarily rare. It implies a lower frequency compared to normal occurrences.

  • Finding four-leaf clovers is uncommon.
  • Her talent for languages is uncommon among her peers.

Examples of usage

  • It is quite an infrequent occurrence to see a shooting star.
  • Her visits to the museum are infrequent, but always enjoyable.
Context #2 | Adverb

not happening often

Occurring rarely or not very often.

Synonyms

rarely, seldom, sporadically.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

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Word Description / Examples
infrequent

Use when describing something that does not happen often, typically in formal or written language.

  • Infrequent flights to the remote island make travel difficult.
  • He showed up to meetings with infrequent regularity.
rarely

Use in casual or conversational settings to describe something that almost never happens.

  • She rarely goes to the gym.
  • I rarely eat fast food.
seldom

Use in a somewhat old-fashioned or literary context to mean not often.

  • He seldom visits his hometown.
  • Seldom do we see such beautiful craftsmanship.
sporadically

Use when something happens at irregular intervals, not in a consistent pattern.

  • The internet connection works sporadically.
  • He calls his family sporadically.

Examples of usage

  • She infrequently goes to the gym, preferring to exercise at home.
  • The team meets infrequently, usually only when necessary.

Translations

Translations of the word "infrequent" in other languages:

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡น infrequente

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ เคฆเฅเคฐเฅเคฒเคญ

๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช selten

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฉ jarang

๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ั€ั–ะดะบั–ัะฝะธะน

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ฑ rzadki

๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต ใพใ‚Œใช

๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท rare

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ infrecuente

๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ท seyrek

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท ๋“œ๋ฌธ

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ู†ุงุฏุฑ

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฟ vzรกcnรฝ

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฐ zriedkavรฝ

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ ็ฝ•่ง็š„

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฎ redki

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ธ sjaldgรฆfur

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ฟ ัะธั€ะตะบ

๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ช แƒ˜แƒจแƒ•แƒ˜แƒแƒ—แƒ˜

๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ฟ nadirdir

๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฝ infrecuente

Etymology

The word 'infrequent' originates from the Latin word 'infrequentem', meaning 'uncommon' or 'rare'. Over time, it has evolved to describe something that does not happen very often or is not commonly encountered. The usage of 'infrequent' has been consistent in English language literature, dating back to the 16th century.

See also: frequency, frequent, frequently, infrequently.

Word Frequency Rank

Ranked #11,829, this word falls into high-advanced vocabulary. It appears less frequently but is valuable for expressing precise meanings in specific contexts.