rarely

[rair-lee]

adverb

1. on rare occasions; infrequently; seldom.

   I'm rarely late for appointments.

2. exceptionally; in an unusual degree.

3. unusually or remarkably well; excellent.

rarely

/ ˈrɛəlɪ /

adverb

1. hardly ever; seldom

   I'm rarely in town these days

2. to an unusual degree; exceptionally

3. dialect,  uncommonly well; excellently

   he did rarely at market yesterday

Usage

Since rarely means hardly ever , one should not say something rarely ever happens

Word History and Origins

Origin of rarely¹

First recorded in 1515–25; rare ¹ + -ly

Example Sentences

Gallium, a byproduct of bauxite processing, is rarely recovered outside China because it isn’t especially profitable.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“Like a plane crash, decline rarely happens because of a single failure, it’s a series of mistakes.”

Read more on Barron's

Still, most playlists orbit male voices, and collaborations rarely invite women to the booth: “When reparteros come together on a track, they never call a woman,” she says.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Because nicotinamide is available over the counter, its use is rarely documented in medical records.

Read more on Science Daily

The men dangled out as “victims” of #MeToo are rarely, if ever, targets of false accusations.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• barely 
• hardly 
• infrequently www.thesaurus.com
• seldom