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Definition of seldom

seldom

/ˈsɛl.dəm/
sel · dom
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seldom Lexical Profile

seldom Game Scores & Validity

• adverb

1

Not often; rarely; on only a few occasions.

Example

"Because of the harsh winter climate, residents in the northern valley seldom travel after nightfall."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for seldom
Antonyms
View all antonyms for seldom

• adjective

1

Rare; infrequent; occurring only on rare occasions (now chiefly archaic or literary).

Example

"The travelers were grateful for the seldom visits of passing merchant ships to the remote island."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for seldom
Antonyms
View all antonyms for seldom

Word Nuance & Usage

When 'seldom' is placed at the beginning of a sentence for rhetorical emphasis, it triggers subject-auxiliary inversion (e.g., 'Seldom have we witnessed such dedication').

• Rhymes for seldom

• Nearby Words

seizure
sekumpul
selaginella
seldom
select
selectable
selection

Word Origin & Etymology

Derived from Old English 'seldan' or 'seldum' ('at rare times'), originally a dative plural form of the adjective 'seld' meaning 'rare' or 'strange', with the final '-m' shifting to '-n' and back by analogy with 'whilom'.

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Seldom. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/seldom
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