seldom

American  

[sel-duhm] / ˈsɛl dəm /

adverb

1. on only a few occasions; rarely; infrequently; not often.

   We seldom see our old neighbors anymore.

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adjective

1. rare; infrequent.

seldom British  

/ ˈsɛldəm /

adverb

1. not often; rarely

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Other Word Forms

• seldomness noun

Etymology

Origin of seldom

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English seldum, variant of seldan; cognate with German selten, Gothic silda-

Example Sentences

“It’s very seldom that you see a woman actually able to be selfish and show up for herself without the world going for her throat,” the actor said.

From Los Angeles Times

He very seldom missed football matches and we needed John to play every single one of those games.

From BBC

The flourishing industry is closely protected by Chinese authorities and media access is seldom granted.

From Barron's

While our more intrepid friends treated school breaks as opportunities to see Europe or tour national parks and Civil War battlefields, we seldom left our home in Connecticut.

From The Wall Street Journal

There were brief respites, but things seldom got easier: “The wind whipped up at noon and sleet came smacking down,” Mr. Tesson recalls.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• a few times
• hardly
• occasionally
• rarely
• scarcely
• sometimes
• sporadically