seldom

1 of 2

adverb

sel·​dom ˈsel-dəm How to pronounce seldom (audio)
Synonyms of seldomnext
: in few instances : rarely, infrequently

seldom

2 of 2

adjective

Synonyms of seldom

Examples of seldom in a Sentence

Adverb Employers 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. 2007
Kangaroo 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
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Adverb
Operated by Dharma Adventures, the lodge will be the base for those who want to do the two-day, Three Valley Trek—a rare journey through remote landscapes seldom seen by visitors. Jen Murphy, Outside, 1 Feb. 2026 Malinina and Skorniakov seldom comment on their son or their methods for coaching him, wary of creating any more pressure for him. Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 1 Feb. 2026 But Molly White, a computer programmer who is a prominent critic of the crypto industry and tracks such offers, told me that crypto exchanges have seldom, if ever, paid stablecoin holders as high a return rate as Binance is providing for USD1, or offered bonus returns on such large quantities. David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 31 Jan. 2026 Couples in Freida McFadden's books seldom get sunshine and rainbows. Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 29 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for seldom

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

Adjective

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of seldom was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Seldom.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/seldom. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.

Kids Definition

seldom

adverb
sel·​dom
ˈsel-dəm
: not often : rarely

More from Merriam-Webster on seldom

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