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

In the final weeks of this knife’s edge presidential campaign, the sprint to the finish line has come down to swaying the small slice of undecided or infrequent voters who could tip the balance. —Meghan McCarron, Bon Appétit, 29 Oct. 2024

It’s intended for apps that have a one-time or infrequent need to access some photos or videos. —Ewan Spence, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2024

Milton’s eastward path through the Gulf is so infrequent the most recent comparable storm was in 1848. —Shawn Tully, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2024

Although relatively infrequent, cell service disruptions have caused some widespread headaches this year. —Jordan Valinsky, CNN, 30 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