on few occasions

USAGE SUMMARY

'on few occasions' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use 'on few occasions' to refer to a situation in which something has happened rarely. For example: "I have seen him on few occasions, but I don't know him well."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

19 human-written examples

Few of them seemed to have business acquaintances, & our need for verse at that time was so desperate that we would have taken (anddid on few occasions did take poems from persons whose private lives were unspeakable.

The New Yorker

Seattle remains the NFC's favourite to make the Super Bowl, but an upset from a Saints team that has faltered on few occasions this season, is not something to completely rule out.

Independent

The characteristics of the midlatitude TDT observed by radar have been described on few occasions (e.g. Beldon et al. 2006; Jacobi and Fytterer 2012).

Earth, Planets and Space

On few occasions where attempts have been made to improve dumpsites management, these often tend to be in reaction to threats of their imminent closure by nearby communities.

City, Territory and Architecture

Unintentionally, patients 1 and 2 switched off the device on few occasions and experienced an exacerbation of their headache that settled within approximately 1 to 2 weeks after the device was switched on again.

The Journal of Headache and Pain

Since the beginning of modern theories on restoration, in the first half of the 19th century, it seems that the problem of technological plants in historic buildings has been explicitly treated on few occasions.

Journal of Cultural Heritage

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

41 human-written examples

Most children in a home go missing on fewer occasions than before they arrived in care.

The Guardian

Life histories independent of the sea had evolved on fewer occasions than terrestriality in crabs.

Plosone

Among those who did seek primary healthcare, participants with more unhealthy lifestyles consulted GPs on fewer occasions.

BMC Family Practice

These reasons for stopping were given on fewer occasions of CAM use (six) than reported harmful events (eight) and not all these cases are the same.

BMC Family Practice

But his clearances did prove timely a on a few occasions.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "on few occasions" to convey that something happens infrequently but not never. It's suitable for formal and semi-formal contexts.

Common error

Avoid using "on few occasions" when something essentially never happens. Phrases like "almost never" or "rarely ever" might be more appropriate in those cases.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "on few occasions" functions as an adverbial phrase, modifying a verb or clause to indicate the infrequency of an action or event. Ludwig AI confirms this usage with numerous examples across varied contexts.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

50%

News & Media

37%

Wiki

13%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "on few occasions" is a grammatically correct and commonly used phrase that indicates something happens rarely. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, this phrase is suitable for formal and semi-formal contexts, particularly in scientific and news-related writing. While it effectively conveys infrequency, it's important to ensure it accurately reflects the degree of rarity; if something almost never happens, alternative phrases like "almost never" may be more appropriate. Remember that using "on few occasions" can add a touch of formality to your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

rarely

Emphasizes the infrequency of an event.

infrequently

Similar to rarely, but perhaps slightly more formal.

seldom

A more formal synonym for rarely or infrequently.

not often

A straightforward and common way to express infrequency.

on rare occasions

Similar, but emphasizes the exceptional nature of the occasions.

on the rare occasion

Highlights the singularity and infrequency of an event.

scarcely ever

Emphasizes the limited frequency of something happening.

hardly ever

Indicates that something almost never happens.

in very few instances

Highlights the limited number of times something occurs.

on a handful of occasions

Implies that something has happened only a very small number of times.

FAQs

What does "on few occasions" mean?

The phrase "on few occasions" means something happens rarely or infrequently. It suggests that an event or action has occurred a limited number of times.

How can I use "on few occasions" in a sentence?

You can use "on few occasions" to describe situations that don't happen often. For example: "The museum is open late, but "on few occasions" do they host special events."

What's a more formal way to say "on few occasions"?

More formal alternatives to "on few occasions" include "seldom", "infrequently", or "on rare occasions".

What can I say instead of "on few occasions"?

You can use alternatives like "rarely", "not often", or "hardly ever" depending on the context.