infrequent

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ɪnˈfrikwənt/ UK /ɪnˈfriːkwənt/ See IPA manual

adj

Meanings

1

adj
not occurring often; rare

Buses to the village are infrequent after dark.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · not occurring often; rare rare uncommon sporadic occasional scarce sparse

Opposites

frequent common regular habitual

Word family

Derived forms infrequently infrequency

Related forms frequent frequency

Etymology

From Latin infrequens ('not crowded, rare'), from in- ('not') + frequens ('crowded, repeated, frequent').

infrequens Latin frequens Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives Register & Style

# infrequent

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** ɪnˈfrikwənt
**IPA (UK):** ɪnˈfriːkwənt

## Meanings
1. not occurring often; rare

## Examples
- Buses to the village are infrequent after dark.

## Synonyms
- rare
- uncommon
- sporadic
- occasional
- scarce
- sparse

## Antonyms
- frequent
- common
- regular
- habitual

## Derived Forms
- infrequently
- infrequency

## Related Forms
- frequent
- frequency

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: infrequens
- Root: frequens

## Etymology
From Latin infrequens ('not crowded, rare'), from in- ('not') + frequens ('crowded, repeated, frequent').

## AI Etymology
Infrequent comes from Latin infrequens ('not crowded, rare'), from in- ('not') + frequens ('crowded, repeated, frequent'). The prefix supplies the first semantic turn, while the base carries the lexical core of the word. As an adjective, it carries the sense "not occurring often; rare", with the older formation still helping explain the modern use. Relevant historical forms include Latin infrequens and Latin frequens. Derivative forms include infrequently, infrequency; related words include frequent, frequency.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives
- Register & Style

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