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 of infrequent

• occasional

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

Jon Rahm is one of the best handful of golfers in the world, and, in media availability and his infrequent YouTube golf appearances, is thoughtful, funny and personable. —Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 14 May 2026

Women aren’t infrequent visitors, as there is plenty of work as a groom or exercise rider. —Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 9 May 2026

During her mother’s infrequent visits, Eileen was to treat her with no more than polite formality. —Literary Hub, 8 May 2026

The budget carrier even got a mention in their wedding ceremony, which came 10 months after the engagement — even though the flights slowly became more infrequent as Spirit upped the cost to an eventual $200 price tag. —Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 5 May 2026

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

Rhymes for infrequent

• unfrequent
• frequent
• sequent

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