infrequent

adjective

in·​fre·​quent (ˌ)in-ˈfrē-kwənt How to pronounce infrequent (audio)
1
: seldom happening or occurring : rare
2
: placed or occurring at wide intervals in space or time
a slope dotted with infrequent pines
infrequent visits
infrequently adverb
Choose the Right Synonym for infrequent

infrequent, uncommon, scarce, rare, sporadic mean not common or abundant.

infrequent implies occurrence at wide intervals in space or time.

infrequent family visits

uncommon suggests a frequency below normal expectation.

smallpox is now uncommon in many countries

scarce implies falling short of a standard or required abundance.

jobs were scarce during the Depression

rare suggests extreme scarcity or infrequency and often implies consequent high value.

rare first editions

sporadic implies occurrence in scattered instances or isolated outbursts.

sporadic cases of influenza

Examples of infrequent in a Sentence

We made infrequent stops along the way. a shut-in who made infrequent trips to the store
Recent Examples on the Web The Miami Herald reported that crocodile attacks on humans are also infrequent because crocodiles are found in isolated areas such as the southern Everglades. David Chiu, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024 Efforts to memorialize lynching victims divide American communities Community apologies for lynchings have been infrequent in America, but there are some examples. Joe Heim, Washington Post, 11 Mar. 2024 In northern Gaza, people rush to grab aid from infrequent humanitarian drops. Sana Noor Haq, CNN, 6 Mar. 2024 Black turnout had waned significantly since the highs of former President Barack Obama’s historic presidency, with low-propensity voters — those less likely to vote — and infrequent voters increasingly disillusioned by and disconnected to politics. Darrell Smith, Sacramento Bee, 5 Mar. 2024 Abandoned cars are a big issue in San Diego’s more residential and suburban neighborhoods, because the lack of parking meters and no-parking zones means there is infrequent parking enforcement there. David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Oct. 2023 What that means is, while there may be only 25 or so Leap Days each century, plenty of notable events have just so happened to take place on the infrequent date of Feb. 29. Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 29 Feb. 2024 Pops of color are so infrequent, the beet salad, a bright hedge, took me by surprise — picture Dorothy closing the door on Kansas for somewhere over the rainbow — but only because its neighbors on the table were mostly beige, including an entree of scallops arranged on a gently sweet turnip cream. Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 23 Feb. 2024 Even voters who do care deeply about international affairs have only the blunt tool of infrequent elections to try to shape policy. Elizabeth N. Saunders, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'infrequent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin infrequent-, infrequens, from in- + frequent-, frequens frequent

First Known Use

1622, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of infrequent was in 1622

Dictionary Entries Near infrequent

Cite this Entry

“Infrequent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/infrequent. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

infrequent

adjective
in·​fre·​quent (ˈ)in-ˈfrē-kwənt How to pronounce infrequent (audio)
1
: seldom happening or occurring
2
: not placed, made, or done at frequent intervals
made infrequent stops
infrequently adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on infrequent

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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