Meaning & use

seldom

adverb·Academic

Not often; used to describe something that rarely happens or occurs.

See it in a sentence

He seldom eats breakfast before heading out the door for work.

They seldom argue, even after twenty years of marriage together.

A note on using this word

Seldom has a slightly formal or literary tone compared to the more common 'rarely' or 'hardly ever.'

Words with a similar meaning

rarelyinfrequently

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

oftenfrequently

Make it your own

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