seldom

1 of 2

adverb

sel·​dom ˈsel-dəm How to pronounce seldom (audio)
Synonyms of seldom
: in few instances : rarely, infrequently

seldom

2 of 2

adjective

: rare, infrequent

Synonyms of seldom

Relevance

Adverb

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of seldom in a Sentence

Adverb Employers also say that foreign-born workers tend to work harder, be more reliable, and complain less than the natives they can hire at the same wage. This is not surprising. Unskilled immigrants have seldom finished secondary school, but they have overcome all kinds of obstacles both to get here and to stay here. —Christopher Jencks, New York Review of Books, 27 Sept. 2007
"The pervasive theme is rebellion." Laurel Thatcher Ulrich begins her new book, "Well-Behaved Women Seldom Make History," struggling to explain—understand—the appeal of an aside she made in the spring 1976 issue of an academic journal, a comment that has become a popular slogan printed on T-shirts and coffee mugs and bumper stickers, usually without her permission and often without attribution. —Kathryn Harrison, New York Times Book Review, 30 Sept. 2007
Kangaroo rats belong to a North American family of rodents well known for living in arid habitats, where they forage almost exclusively for seeds. They seldom have access to drinking water, but instead get most of their moisture from digesting the seeds. —Michael A. Mares, Natural History, November 2003
We seldom go to the movies. This type of turtle seldom grows over four inches in length.
Recent Examples on the Web
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Adverb
Growing up in West Little River, Black Yacht Day cofounder Shakyra Chrysostome seldom went to the beach. — Michael Butler, Miami Herald, 28 Oct. 2026 This aspect is crucial because technical challenges in engineering are seldom static. — Sufian Aldogom, IEEE Spectrum, 28 Oct. 2026 But defense lawyer Wada said they were seldom used when the detention was shorter than two weeks, leaving minors to face similar conditions to their adult counterparts. — Hanako Montgomery, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026 Such a gamble could deepen Israel’s insecurity, but electoral desperation seldom improves anyone’s judgment. — Ali Vaez, Time, 21 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for seldom

Word History

Etymology

Adverb and Adjective

Middle English, from Old English seldan; akin to Old High German seltan seldom

First Known Use

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of seldom was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing seldom

Browse Nearby Words

seld
seldom
seldomly
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Seldom.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/seldom. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Kids Definition

seldom

adverb
sel·​dom
ˈsel-dəm
: not often : rarely
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