infrequent implies occurrence at wide intervals in space or time.
infrequent family visits
uncommon suggests a frequency below normal expectation.
smallpox is now uncommon in many countries
scarce implies falling short of a standard or required abundance.
jobs were scarce during the Depression
rare suggests extreme scarcity or infrequency and often implies consequent high value.
rare first editions
sporadic implies occurrence in scattered instances or isolated outbursts.
sporadic cases of influenza
Example Sentences
We made infrequent stops along the way. a shut-in who made infrequent trips to the store
Recent Examples on the WebThe policy-heavy discussions, aimed especially at younger or infrequent voters, are often moderated by community members or local celebrities, like the Atlanta rapper Yung Joc and radio personality Big Tigger.New York Times, 7 Sep. 2022 Signs of dehydration in adults include extreme thirst; fatigue; dizziness; lightheadedness; dry mouth and/or lips, and infrequent urination. Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2022 This plant can thrive in indirect light, needs only infrequent watering and works perfectly for smaller living spaces. Jacqueline Saguin, Good Housekeeping, 6 Sep. 2022 Over the last few years, Scully made infrequent public appearances. David Wharton, Anchorage Daily News, 3 Aug. 2022 Only toward the end of his life, when tastes back home began to change and some of the old arguments were forgotten, did Turgenev find a gentler reception on his infrequent trips to Russia. Keith Gessen, The New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2022 Warm phone exchanges gave way to infrequent calls, lawmakers said, and celebrations of collaborative efforts to return $1 billion to taxpayers in various forms of relief turned into a standoff that has played out in the press. Samantha J. Gross, BostonGlobe.com, 22 Aug. 2022 The Wrath of Khan, and yes, even The Empire Strikes Back — the infrequent sequel that is superior to the original product. Dalton Ross, EW.com, 18 Aug. 2022 Charles said there doesn't need to be a timeframe for how often episodes happen, because there still are treatment options for infrequent migraines. Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAY, 17 Aug. 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Latin infrequent-, infrequens, from in- + frequent-, frequens frequent