seldom 1 of 2

adverb

ˈsel-dəm How to pronounce seldom (audio)
Definition of seldomnext
as in rarely
not often we seldom go to the theater downtown because its prices are so high

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

seldom

2 of 2

adjective

as in unusual

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of seldom
Adverb
The earlier series has increasingly strained credulity by having its romance plots hinge on inequalities of gender and class, but seldom of race. — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2026 Prince William attended as a representative of his father, King Charles, in keeping with a long-standing tradition that the British sovereign seldom attends the funerals of other heads of state. — Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2026 There’s seldom a season when a play by Ken Ludwig, one of the most popular living American playwrights, can’t be found on a Connecticut stage. — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 6 Sep. 2026 Legal risks and long peer-review cycles are typically cited as reasons that fast-moving tech companies seldom share data or engage in peer review. — Matthew Sun, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for seldom
Recent Examples of Synonyms for seldom
  1. rarely
  2. unusual
  3. uncommon
  4. infrequent
  5. rare
  6. extraordinary
  7. unfamiliar
Adverb
  • These behaviors were rarely seen in the absence of cocaine, illustrating how a normally varied set of actions can become restricted to a persistent behavioral pattern, according to a press release.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 28 Sep. 2026
  • With 1,884 yards, 18 touchdowns and only one interception while completing 75% of his passes this season, Orange High’s junior quarterback has rarely faltered when dropping back.
    — Caleb Otte, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of rarely
Adjective
  • Voters are deeply concerned about income disparity but also skeptical about the unusual approach of the billionaire tax.
    — Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
  • The incident adds an unusual detail to the growing record of autonomous AI behavior.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of unusual
Adjective
  • Suicide, unfortunately, is not uncommon among the young, and in fact, several sources have noted a recent rash of these tragedies in the Aurora community.
    — Denise Crosby, Chicago Tribune, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Bell said doctors told him that those symptoms are not uncommon for athletes who have returned from ACL injuries.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of uncommon
Adjective
  • Diverse characters made infrequent appearances, their storylines often tied to hardship rather than joy.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Clearing the uncertainty Neutron capture reactions are difficult to measure directly because recreating stellar conditions in the laboratory is hard; the reactions are infrequent, and the nuclei involved are short-lived.
    — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of infrequent
Adjective
  • Sarah Patton, a Compass agent familiar with the buildings, says that a few years ago, when hundreds of units were being marketed downtown, some buildings were making deals, but that’s rare.
    — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Since then researchers have discovered that the Epstein-Barr virus, which is known to cause cancers such as nasal pharyngeal cancers and some forms of lymphoma, is also linked to some stomach cancers and some rarer lymphomas, Clifford says.
    — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of rare
Adjective
  • Movies bring audiences across the country the unique magic of sitting with their neighbors to see extraordinary stories told on the big screen at their local cinema.
    — Paul Gunsky, IndieWire, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Speed At All Costs The cars of the early 1990s were extraordinary machines, bristling with active suspension and aerodynamic wizardry.
    — Jessica Vitiritti, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of extraordinary
Adjective
  • Such crudely geometric thinking prevailed because the unfamiliar land seemed unmarked by history.
    — Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
  • In low-light pose estimation, the system is trying to recognize a familiar type of movement under unfamiliar environmental conditions.
    — Bo Wang, The Conversation, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of unfamiliar

Browse Nearby Words

seizures
seldom
select
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Seldom.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/seldom. Accessed 3 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of tittle

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Oct. 2

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
name tags
Words Named After People Quiz Find out who’s behind "leotard," "morphine," an...
See All