seldom

[sel-duhm]

adverb

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

   We seldom see our old neighbors anymore.

adjective

1. rare; infrequent.

seldom

/ ˈsɛldəm /

adverb

1. not often; rarely

Other Word Forms

• seldomness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of seldom¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of seldom¹

Old English seldon; related to Old Norse sjāldan, Old High German seltan

Example Sentences

In the world of mystery, however, seldom are things as they appear.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Ashes tours have seldom seen the best of Stokes.

Read more on BBC

“Wicked: For Good” takes us to a magical place where we witness wonders seldom if ever encountered in reality: a talking lion, flying monkeys, a woman forgiving a friend who steals her fiancé.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

This Penelope seldom bothered to do, for she only spent money on books, presents, and the occasional soothsayer, and how often did the need for a soothsayer arise?

Read more on Literature

The consumer story in China is seldom exciting—but increasingly nuanced.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• a few times www.thesaurus.com
• hardly 
• occasionally 
• rarely 
• scarcely 
• sometimes 
• sporadically