fairly seldom

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "fairly seldom" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe an occurrence that happens infrequently, but with a slightly more positive connotation than "seldom" alone. Example: "I fairly seldom go out to eat, as I prefer cooking at home."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

Judge Kozinski questioned whether persuasion actually has much of a role in the strong-willed, life-tenured federal judiciary — "It really happens fairly seldom," he said — but added that in the cases where it does play a part, "I think that Thomas is among the best".

The New York Times

The n-word is used fairly seldom compared to "Muzzie", which crops up on an almost daily basis.

Vice

However, cell culture models reflecting these characteristics are fairly seldom.

BMC Cancer

A change of residency was fairly seldom; thus, assigning pollution exposure based on residence at the beginning of the study probably introduced no systematic bias.

Environmental Health Perspectives

There was also a question about whether demands at work negatively influenced private life (leisure, home, and family life), with the possible response alternatives very seldom, fairly seldom, sometimes, fairly often, and very often.

BMC Public Health

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

Rip currents are usually fairly narrow, seldom more than 50 100 feet (15.2 30.5 m) in width.

WikiHow

Justices do recuse themselves fairly often, though they seldom say why.

The New York Times

Life is seldom fair.

BBC

Mr. Gotbaum said that for most of the pension insurer's existence, the plans that collapsed were fairly small, and the workers' benefits seldom exceeded the insurance limit, currently $54,000 a year.

The New York Times

They crop up fairly often on orchestral programs, yet they are seldom encountered en masse.

The New Yorker

Even in dynamic environments such as mobile WiMAX networks with time-variant traffic specifications, the FQFC fairly guarantees delay, throughput, and jitter, which are seldom achieved at the same time by state-of-the-art solutions.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "fairly seldom", consider the context and whether a more precise term for frequency might be more appropriate. While grammatically correct, it can sometimes sound vague. Replace it with a more descriptive term or phrase, like "rarely", or "infrequently".

Common error

Avoid using "fairly seldom" excessively in formal writing. Its slightly informal tone might be perceived as imprecise. Opt for alternatives like "infrequently", "rarely", or "on few occasions" to maintain a professional tone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "fairly seldom" functions as an adverbial modifier, indicating the degree to which an action or event occurs infrequently. It modifies a verb or clause to express how rarely something happens. According to Ludwig, the phrase is grammatically correct.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

40%

Wiki

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "fairly seldom" is a grammatically sound adverbial modifier used to indicate that something happens infrequently. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness. While not very common, it appears in various contexts, including news, science, and general writing. For more formal settings, alternatives like "infrequently" or "rarely" might be more suitable. When employing "fairly seldom", ensure that the context warrants a slightly moderated degree of infrequency to avoid vagueness and, if possible, use more precise words.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

rather infrequently

Replaces "fairly" with "rather", which indicates a similar degree of infrequency but with slightly more formality.

quite rarely

Emphasizes the rarity of the occurrence with "quite" instead of "fairly".

not very often

Expresses infrequency in a more common and straightforward manner.

somewhat uncommonly

Replaces "seldom" with "uncommonly" and uses "somewhat" instead of "fairly", altering the tone to be slightly more formal.

moderately infrequently

Indicates a degree of infrequency that is moderate.

relatively rarely

Highlights that the infrequency is in relation to something else, making the statement more specific.

scarcely ever

Implies that the occurrence is rare to the point of almost never happening.

hardly ever

Suggests a level of infrequency similar to "scarcely ever", implying that something almost never happens.

infrequently enough

Implies the infrequency meets a certain requirement or threshold.

on few occasions

Highlights that something happens only on a small number of occasions.

FAQs

What does "fairly seldom" mean?

The phrase "fairly seldom" means something happens infrequently, but not as rarely as "seldom" alone might suggest. It indicates a moderate degree of infrequency.

How can I use "fairly seldom" in a sentence?

You can use "fairly seldom" to describe actions or occurrences that don't happen often. For example, "I "fairly seldom go" to the cinema because it's too expensive."

What are some alternatives to "fairly seldom"?

Alternatives to "fairly seldom" include "rather infrequently", "quite rarely", or "not very often". The best choice depends on the specific context.

Is "fairly seldom" the same as "seldom"?

No, "fairly seldom" implies a slightly higher frequency than "seldom" alone. "Seldom" means rarely, while "fairly seldom" suggests something is less rare than simply "seldom".