rarely

adverb

rare·​ly ˈrer-lē How to pronounce rarely (audio)
1
: not often : seldom
2
: with rare skill : excellently
3
: in an extreme or exceptional manner

Examples of rarely in a Sentence

She rarely talks about her past. Rarely do we see this kind of weather in our area. Only rarely is surgery necessary to treat this condition.
Recent Examples on the Web The results highlight a lack of diversity: Moms are largely depicted as white, young, thin and rarely as the breadwinner of their families. Ellie Austin, Fortune, 9 Mar. 2024 But the best part of sports is that things rarely go as planned, even in Formula 1. Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 8 Mar. 2024 Leading this charge was Porter, the type of Dem that O.C. had rarely seen. Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2024 Elephants rarely get cancer, which is unexpected for a large animal with so many cells, and the elephant stem cells could shed light on why this is the case, the study authors write. Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Mar. 2024 Garvey has done little campaigning, and during the debates with Schiff, Porter and Lee the Republican rarely got specific about issues. David Lightman, Sacramento Bee, 7 Mar. 2024 Those off-color cover versions make for one of the more outrageous bits in a film that rarely takes its ostensibly offensive routines far enough. Peter Debruge, Variety, 6 Mar. 2024 Al-Aly said this term is rarely used because the long-term outcomes of flu are typically overlooked. Claire Bugos, Verywell Health, 27 Feb. 2024 The late Queen Elizabeth only rarely attended funerals. Simon Perry, Peoplemag, 27 Feb. 2024

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

Word History

First Known Use

1549, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of rarely was in 1549

Dictionary Entries Near rarely

Cite this Entry

“Rarely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rarely. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

rarely

adverb
rare·​ly ˈra(ə)r-lē How to pronounce rarely (audio)
ˈre(ə)r-
: not often : seldom

More from Merriam-Webster on rarely

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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