[in.fre.quent] adj [L infrequent-, infrequens, fr. in- + frequent-, frequens frequent] (1531) 1: seldom happening or occurring: rare
2: placed or occurring at wide intervals in space or time "a slope scattered with ~ pines" "~ visits" -- in.fre.quent.ly adv syn infrequent, uncommon, scarce, rare, sporadic mean not common or abundant. 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".