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 Words From

• seldom·ness 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

The top court is the final court of appeal, the final interpreter of the constitution and its judgements, which are binding on all other courts in India, routinely make news - although judges seldom do.

From BBC

These are “two airlines with very different service formats are being integrated into one airline. It is going to be a hotchpotch of service formats, cabin formats, branding, and customer experience. It will involve learning and unlearning, and such a process has rarely worked with airlines and is seldom effective,” said Mr Martin.

From BBC

She started her campaign by pledging to go after price gougers; by the end there was seldom a mention of that policy.

From Slate

The clue in question came from a famous Dorothy Parker quote, “Men seldom make passes at girls who wear glasses,” and contestants were asked to complete the latter part of the maxim for the rhyming-phrase category.

From Los Angeles Times

Ira M. Resnick, founder of the Motion Picture Arts Gallery, and Raissa Bretaña, a historian specializing in film fashion, take close-up looks at a few dozen of the dames whose self-possession and hard work helped them develop the “moxie” to succeed in an industry dominated by men and iron-clad contracts that seldom allowed for individuality and artistic growth.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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