Word
seldom
Phoneticssel·dom, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈsɛɫdəm/
UK/sˈɛldəm/
Adverb of frequency
Definitions
01not often
B2 · Upper Intermediate Formal
adv. you use this to say that something happens only a few times or almost never.
adv. occurring at widely spaced intervals; not often. It functions as a frequency adverb and is typically positioned before the main verb or after the auxiliary.
日本語:滅多に※
“We seldom see our neighbours because they travel so much for work.”
“The two departments seldom collaborate on research projects, despite the clear overlap in their academic objectives and funding sources.”
Usage
In formal writing, placing 'seldom' at the start of a sentence requires subject-verb inversion, as in 'Seldom have I seen such beauty.'
Synonyms
Antonyms
02rare or infrequent
C2 · Proficiency Archaic · Literary
adj. describes something that does not happen very often.
adj. infrequent or rare in occurrence. This attributive use is largely restricted to specific literary or historical contexts.
日本語:まれ※
“His seldom visits to the city were always a cause for celebration.”
“The scholar noted that such seldom occurrences of the phenomenon were difficult to document without modern equipment.”
Teaching tip
This adjective use is very rare in modern English; students should use 'rare' or 'infrequent' instead.
Synonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “seldom” in context.
Verb
01. seldom heard of such things
“In those days, one seldom heard of such radical political ideas in rural areas.”
adv + verb + prep + noun
02. seldom occurs
“Such a rare alignment of the planets seldom occurs more than once a century.”
adv + verb
03. seldom seen in public
“The reclusive billionaire is seldom seen in public these days.”
adv + verb + prep + noun
Adverb
04. seldom if ever
“The two brothers seldom if ever spoke to one another after the dispute.”
adj + and + adj
05. very seldom
“He very seldom loses his temper, even under extreme pressure.”
adv + adj
Real-World Examples
“A celebrity autobiography is seldom the work of the celebrity herself.” “El Niño and La Niña events are important drivers of these compound events, but the events seldom happen at the weather events' epicenter in the equatorial Pacific.” Etymology
From late Middle English seldom, alteration of earlier selden by analogy with adverbial datives such as whilom, from Old English seldan (“seldom”), from Proto-West Germanic seldanā, from Proto-Germanic seldanē. Cognate with Saterland Frisian säilden (“seldom”), West Frisian selden, komselden (“rare, seldom”), Dutch zelden, German selten, Danish sjælden, Norwegian Bokmål sjelden, Norwegian Nynorsk sjeldan, Swedish sällan, Faroese sjáldan, Icelandic sjaldan. More at seld and selly.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Grammar
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/seldom
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0