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

• 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

As women enter the late stage of perimenopause, periods typically become even more infrequent and spaced out, often 60 days or more apart, and symptoms—including sleep disturbances and mood swings, among others—often become more pronounced. —Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 17 Oct. 2025

The play-by-play man might shout out Mike Tomlin, the longtime coach and infrequent blinker. —Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025

After going 1 for 7 in the first two games of the NL Championship Series, that quote was repeated to Ohtani during the Japanese portion of one of his infrequent media sessions on Wednesday afternoon. —Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 16 Oct. 2025

Papal elections, by contrast, are infrequent and rely on votes from cardinals who have sworn an oath of secrecy. —Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 11 Oct. 2025

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