adjective
infrequent
in-FREE-kwunt/ɪnˈfriːkwənt/
Not happening often.
The calendar records infrequent rain on only two widely separated days.
Etymology
The negative prefix reverses the idea of regular repetition: something infrequent occurs seldom rather than often. This meaning was already present in the Latin adjective.
In context
summits as originally conceived by Churchill were infrequent and involved only a handful of the most important people on the planet the practice is now so widespread
More examples
- Rain is infrequent here during the summer.
- Infrequent bus service makes commuting difficult.
- Power outages become more infrequent as crews replace old equipment.
Forms
infrequent · more infrequent · most infrequent
infrequently adverb — Not often; at widely separated times.
infrequency noun — The fact of not happening often.
Similar words
- rare
- Suggests even fewer occurrences, sometimes making them exceptional.
- occasional
- Emphasizes happening sometimes rather than how seldom something happens.
- sporadic
- Emphasizes irregular timing or scattered occurrences, not just low frequency.