infrequent

adjective

in·​fre·​quent (ˌ)in-ˈfrē-kwənt How to pronounce infrequent (audio)
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
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Even on a volatile Earth billions of years ago, lightning may have been too infrequent to produce amino acids in quantities sufficient for life — a fact that has cast doubt on such theories in the past, Zare said. Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2025 The marine mammal — an infrequent visitor to the shores of the Emerald Isle — was spotted in the Waterford Estuary on the morning of March 25, according to a news release from the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG), a conservation non-profit. Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 28 Mar. 2025 So far, the oil attacks are also too infrequent and insufficiently destructive to inflict the kind of economic damage that could alter the course of Russia’s 37-month wider war on Ukraine. David Axe, Forbes, 26 Mar. 2025 Too often, homeschooling families assume that regulations aren’t needed because abuse is infrequent or nonexistent. Chicago Tribune, 20 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for infrequent

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1622, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of infrequent was in 1622

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Infrequent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/infrequent. Accessed 8 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

infrequent

adjective
in·​fre·​quent (ˈ)in-ˈfrē-kwənt How to pronounce infrequent (audio)
1
: seldom happening or occurring
2
: not placed, made, or done at frequent intervals
made infrequent stops
infrequently adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on infrequent

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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