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

Hurricane season lasts from June through November, and while storms are infrequent, expect generally warmer, wetter weather and passing afternoon showers. —Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 9 Apr. 2026

Banking, utilities, telecommunications, healthcare, and indeed any sector where the product is commoditized and the purchase decision is infrequent, faces the same problem. —Stuart N. Brotman, Fortune, 5 Apr. 2026

Balayage needs infrequent touch-ups, so expect needing a refresh after four to six months. —Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 4 Apr. 2026

While immigration enforcement at airports has occurred, Hing said, it's been random and infrequent. —Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 4 Apr. 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