if not rarely

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "if not rarely" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that something happens infrequently, but not completely absent. Example: "He visits his hometown if not rarely, at least once a year."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

In most countries, MRSA as a potential cause of enterocolitis is usually disregarded, if not rarely questioned [ 6, 7].

BMC Infectious Diseases

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

However, the somebody that Lucas suggested would be the drug boss if not him rarely looked like him.

Huffington Post

Patients with loss-of-function mutations in both LDLR alleles (homozygous FH – hoFH) develop atherosclerosis before age 20 and, if not treated, rarely survive past age 30.

Plosone

Then as now, she was nothing if not professional, with rarely a hair or a word out of place.

The New York Times

Palin was something a bit (if not completely) different: rarely larger than life, he seemed most in his element playing befuddled accountants, unhelpful clerks and other characters not far removed from reality.

The New York Times - Books

While everyone knows there are a thousand startups for every Facebook (if not more), we rarely make the connection that such a high failure rate means that the typical firm may be aging.

TechCrunch

One TV show after another has entered the race to feature the most naked women putting body parts to work in service of... well, if not the plot (rarely required), at least the viewing pleasure of porn-savvy audiences.

Huffington Post

I meet around three a week (if not more) and have rarely had a bad time.

The Guardian - Opinion

Now poised to become the first female senator from Massachusetts, Ms. Coakley, 56, is seen as a highly disciplined, if not passionate, politician who rarely surprises or missteps.

The New York Times

However, the pathogenesis of liver disease in PSC is only related to colon inflammation almost always and isolated small bowel involvement rarely if not never is associated with PSC.

EBioMedicine

But "Skin + Bones" stands to attract, if not reconcile, two camps that rarely converge in a gallery: the followers of fashion, who prefer their nests feathered, and the austere draftsmen in Bauhaus glasses, who may privately relish the charms of a scarlet woman such as fashion but balk at entertaining her in polite company.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "if not rarely" to acknowledge an event or situation that occurs infrequently, but not to the point of complete absence. It adds a nuance that suggests a possibility, however slim.

Common error

Avoid using "if not rarely" when describing something that is virtually nonexistent. The phrase implies a slight possibility of occurrence, which should be genuine.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "if not rarely" functions as an adverbial modifier, adding nuance to a statement by acknowledging a possibility, however infrequent. Ludwig AI confirms this phrase is correct and usable.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Science

33%

Formal & Business

17%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "if not rarely" is a grammatically sound phrase used to indicate that something occurs infrequently but is not entirely absent. Ludwig AI identifies this as a correct and usable English construction. While not exceedingly common, it appears in diverse sources like news media, science, and business publications. When using this phrase, ensure that the context genuinely allows for a possibility, however small, of the event occurring. If you're looking for alternatives, phrases like "if not seldom" or "if not uncommonly" can provide similar nuances.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

if not seldom

Replaces "rarely" with a direct synonym, maintaining a similar level of formality.

if not uncommonly

Uses the opposite of "commonly" to suggest something happens sometimes, though not frequently.

if not infrequently

Similar to "if not uncommonly", but emphasizes that the event does occur, just not often.

if not occasionally

Highlights that something happens on occasion, though not with regularity.

at least scarcely

Shifts the focus to the limited presence or occurrence of something.

if not sparingly

Suggests limited usage or provision of something.

even if infrequently

Emphasizes the condition of something happening infrequently, but still potentially relevant.

assuming it sometimes happens

This alternative is more verbose but expresses the possibility, however small, that something occurs.

on the off chance it occurs

Highlights the low probability of something happening.

in the event it's not unusual

Reverses the perspective to focus on the possibility of something not being unusual, implying it might still be rare.

FAQs

How can I use "if not rarely" in a sentence?

Use "if not rarely" to indicate something happens infrequently, but not never. For example: "He visits his hometown, "if not rarely", at least once a year."

What are some alternatives to "if not rarely"?

Alternatives include "if not seldom", "if not uncommonly", or "if not infrequently", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is "if not rarely" grammatically correct?

Yes, "if not rarely" is grammatically correct and can be used to express that something happens infrequently but is not completely absent. Ludwig AI confirms this correctness.

What's the difference between "if not rarely" and "if never"?

"If not rarely" implies that something happens occasionally, while "if never" indicates it does not happen at all. The former allows for the possibility, however small, of an event occurring.