infrequent

American  

[in-free-kwuhnt] / ɪnˈfri kwənt /

adjective

1. happening or occurring at long intervals or rarely.

   infrequent visits.

   Synonyms:

   uncommon, rare, scarce

2. not constant, habitual, or regular.

   an infrequent visitor.

3. not plentiful or many.

   infrequent opportunities for advancement.

   Synonyms:

   uncommon, rare, scarce

4. far apart in space.

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infrequent British  

/ ɪnˈfriːkwənt /

adjective

1. rarely happening or present; only occasional

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Other Word Forms

• infrequency noun
• infrequently adverb

Etymology

Origin of infrequent

First recorded in 1525–35, infrequent is from the Latin word infrequent- (stem of infrequēns ). See in- ³, frequent

Example Sentences

“In 20 years working at coastal fire departments, I had yet to respond to a shark attack. They’re very infrequent,” Warner said.

From Los Angeles Times

Frequent users received a supplement every day, while infrequent users were given supplements less often than once a day.

From Science Daily

Amazon has been selling pricey electronics and appliances on its website for years, but those purchases are infrequent, said Josh Lowitz, a partner at Consumer Intelligence Retail Partners.

From The Wall Street Journal

Perhaps it will come down to a generational divide and to the very nature of car buying — the second most expensive purchase most of us will make in life, albeit an infrequent one.

From MarketWatch

To the millions enraptured with his music and hypnotic voice, the multiple Grammy winner’s infrequent appearances added to his legend.

From Salon

Related Words

• meager
• occasional
• odd
• rare
• sparse
• sporadic
• uncommon