infrequent

adjective

in·​fre·​quent (ˌ)in-ˈfrē-kwənt 

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

Synonyms

• isolated
• occasional
• odd
• rare
• sporadic

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

For instance, frequent users can use biometric shortcuts, while infrequent users receive additional prompts. —Expert Panel®, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024

Her infrequent visits have also been another source attacks from her opponents. —Fritz Farrow, ABC News, 27 Sep. 2024

Then there came a time when my health was faltering, and our infrequent meetings became less important to me. —Jeanne Phillips, The Mercury News, 23 Sep. 2024

Other contributing factors include infrequent changes, diarrhea, and friction from tight diapers. —Ann Pietrangelo, Verywell Health, 5 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1622, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing infrequent

• not infrequent

Kids Definition

infrequent

adjective

in·​fre·​quent (ˈ)in-ˈfrē-kwənt 

1

: seldom happening or occurring

2

: not placed, made, or done at frequent intervals

made infrequent stops

infrequently adverb