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Synonyms

seldom

American  
[sel-duhm] / ˈsɛl dəm /

adverb

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

    We seldom see our old neighbors anymore.

adjective

  1. rare; infrequent.

seldom British  
/ ˈsɛldəm /

adverb

  1. not often; rarely

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • seldomness noun

Etymology

Origin of seldom

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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

From The Wall Street Journal

Ashes tours have seldom seen the best of Stokes.

From 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.

From The Wall Street Journal

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

From Barron's

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

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.