AdverbEmployers also say that foreign-born workers tend to work harder, be more reliable, and complain less than the natives they can hire at the same wage. This is not surprising. Unskilled immigrants have seldom finished secondary school, but they have overcome all kinds of obstacles both to get here and to stay here.—Christopher Jencks, New York Review of Books, 27 Sept. 2007"The pervasive theme is rebellion." Laurel Thatcher Ulrich begins her new book, "Well-Behaved Women Seldom Make History," struggling to explain—understand—the appeal of an aside she made in the spring 1976 issue of an academic journal, a comment that has become a popular slogan printed on T-shirts and coffee mugs and bumper stickers, usually without her permission and often without attribution.—Kathryn Harrison, New York Times Book Review, 30 Sept. 2007Kangaroo rats belong to a North American family of rodents well known for living in arid habitats, where they forage almost exclusively for seeds. They seldom have access to drinking water, but instead get most of their moisture from digesting the seeds.—Michael A. Mares, Natural History, November 2003
We seldom go to the movies.
This type of turtle seldom grows over four inches in length.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adverb
Check regularly so the water stays clean, and the pump doesn’t clog.
Insects and other tiny garden critters can be unnerving but are seldom a problem.—Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 June 2024 Hopefuls for local posts seldom have the bodyguards that accompany higher-level candidates.—Patrick J. McDonnell, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2024
Adjective
Parental roles seldom factor in the effort required to nurture the connection and intimacy between partners.—Mark Travers, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 What’s more is that Thomas had reported a $5,000 gift for Martin’s education from a non-billionaire friend—echoing Thomas’s tendency to report some gifts, but seldom ones from the likes of Crow.—Prem Thakker, The New Republic, 4 May 2023 See all Example Sentences for seldom
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'seldom.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Adverb and Adjective
Middle English, from Old English seldan; akin to Old High German seltan seldom
First Known Use
Adverb
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above
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