First Known Use: before 12th century
Dictionary
1seldom
adverb sel·dom \ˈsel-dəm\
: not often : almost never
Full Definition of SELDOM
: in few instances : rarely, infrequently
See seldom defined for English-language learners
See seldom defined for kids
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Examples of SELDOM
- 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
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Origin of SELDOM
Middle English, from Old English seldan; akin to Old High German seltan seldom
Related to SELDOM
- Synonyms
- infrequently, little, rarely, once in a blue moon
- Antonyms
- frequently, oft, often, oftentimes (or ofttimes)
Rhymes with SELDOM
2seldom
adjective sel·dom \ˈsel-dəm\
SELDOM Defined for Kids
seldom
adverb sel·dom \ˈsel-dəm\
Definition of SELDOM for Kids
: not often : rarely <He seldom talks about his past.>
Learn More About SELDOM
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