rarely

[ rair-lee ]

adverb

1. on rare occasions; infrequently; seldom:

   I'm rarely late for appointments.

2. exceptionally; in an unusual degree.
3. unusually or remarkably well; excellent.

rarely

/ ˈrɛəlɪ /

adverb

1. hardly ever; seldom

   I'm rarely in town these days

2. to an unusual degree; exceptionally
3. dialect.
   uncommonly well; excellently

   he did rarely at market yesterday

Usage

Since rarely means hardly ever , one should not say something rarely ever happens

Word History and Origins

Origin of rarely¹

First recorded in 1515–25; rare ¹ + -ly

Example Sentences

Now breaking down game film from Michigan games on Sundays, Alford rarely gets to watch his protege for extended periods now.

From Los Angeles Times

Let’s just take one matter that the mainstream news media and commentariat rarely focused on and that’s the gains the Democrats could have made by seizing the flag.

From Salon

LocalThunk rarely gives interviews and keeps his real identity a secret - so there's a question mark over whether he'd attend on the night.

From BBC

Those institutions in Germany that use outside for their students catering rarely receive food wrapped in single-use packaging.

From Salon

Their discovery of Uncus dzaugisi, a worm-like creature rarely over a few centimeters in length, is described in a paper published today in Current Biology.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• barely
• hardly
• infrequently
• seldom