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

Duvall seldom played leading men, but Mac Sledge, in “Tender Mercies,” was a notable breakthrough.

From Los Angeles Times

In his seven-figure Olympian existence, we can step out of our solitary pining into an enviable characterization, one that is seldom offered to characters that look and love like us.

From Salon

For these survivors—the grandmothers and great-grandmothers who populate many romantic fantasies—“Italy” seldom meant idyllic country vistas and cardiologists’ dream culinary joys.

From The Wall Street Journal

And when she did, it was seldom pleasant.

From Literature

Stolz spends much of his summer on his bicycle, building endurance, and seldom takes time off.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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