infrequently
/ˌɪnˈfriːkwəntli/adverb★Intermediate
formal
Not often; rarely happening or occurring
The company holds board meetings infrequently, usually only when major decisions need to be made.
The team communicates infrequently, often relying on email instead of face-to-face discussions.
💡
Often used in formal or professional contexts to describe events or actions that happen rarely.
Collocations
infrequently usednot commonly employedinfrequently seenrarely observed
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related Phrases
once in a blue moonidiom
very rarely
on rare occasionsphrase
not often
💡Pro Tip
Formal vs. Informal Usage
Use 'infrequently' in formal writing or professional settings. For casual speech, 'rarely' or 'seldom' may be more natural.
⚡Gold Rule
Avoid Redundancy
Do not use 'infrequently' with words like 'rarely' or 'seldom' in the same sentence, as they are synonymous.
📖Word Origin
From the Latin 'infrequens' (not frequent) + '-ly' (adverbial suffix)
📝Usage Notes
Use 'infrequently' to emphasize the rarity of an event or action, often in formal or technical writing.
Word Breakdown
in-
not
prefixfrequent
happening often
root-ly
adverbial suffix
suffixEnglish Dictionary