seldom occurring

USAGE SUMMARY

"seldom occurring" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use this phrase when you want to emphasize how infrequently or rarely something takes place. For example, "Mysterious phenomena are seldom occurring in this part of the world."

✓ Grammatically correct

Academia

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

6 human-written examples

BNA Account Authors: Mowbray, Thomas B. This tanager is monogamous and aggressively territorial throughout its range, seldom occurring in high densities.

Cornell University

The study of any poetry – serious or not – became marginalized, seldom occurring except in AP courses preparing students for college literature study.

HuffPost

This species is found deeper in the Mediterranean, seldom occurring above a depth of 1500 m and being most common at 2500-3000 m.

Wikipedia

Most of them were acute conditions requiring time-limited drug treatment or minor conditions seldom occurring or collected in hospitals.

BMC Health Services Research

Consequently, in order to be observed, it requires times series sampled at a sufficiently high frequency and dynamics in the right time window, a combination seldom occurring in current expression profiling datasets.

BMC Systems Biology

They may set a maximum of restrictiveness at a seldom occurring intervention during which they had to forcefully overpower a severely agitated, highly aggressive patient with the help of policemen not being able to prevent the patient from injuries while on the other hand patients may feel already heavily traumatised by the circumstance of being led to the seclusion room and being locked in.

BMC Psychiatry

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

Cholera and malaria seldom occur.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Cultural transformations seldom occur overnight.

Harvard Business Review

Moderate to severe anemia and thrombocytopenia seldom occurred.

Lung Cancer

But New York's sophisticated voters know that these third-party attacks seldom occur by coincidence.

The New York Times

— in a way that seldom occurs in Mr. Wheeldon's work.

The New York Times - Arts

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "seldom occurring", consider the formality of your context. While grammatically sound, it can sometimes sound slightly formal or academic. In more casual settings, consider alternatives like "rarely happens" or "doesn't happen often".

Common error

Avoid using "seldom occurring" in informal writing or conversation, as it can sound stilted. Opt for more natural-sounding alternatives like "rarely happens" or "doesn't often occur".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "seldom occurring" functions as an adverbial modifier, describing the frequency with which something happens or exists. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is grammatically sound and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

50%

News & Media

33%

Academia

17%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "seldom occurring" is a grammatically correct phrase used to express that something happens infrequently. As Ludwig AI indicates, it’s appropriate for written English but can sound slightly formal. The analysis of source categories reveals that it frequently appears in scientific, news, and academic contexts. While synonymous with phrases like "rarely happening" or "infrequently taking place", choosing "seldom occurring" often implies a more formal tone. When writing, consider your audience and the overall tone you want to convey to ensure the phrase aligns with your intended message.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

rarely happening

This alternative uses a more common synonym for seldom, maintaining a similar level of formality.

scarcely occurring

This alternative uses "scarcely", which is nearly synonymous with "seldom", offering a slight variation in tone.

infrequently taking place

This option is more formal and emphasizes the action of "taking place" rather than just occurring.

hardly ever occurring

This alternative uses a more conversational tone while still conveying the rarity of the event.

uncommonly happening

Using "uncommonly" provides a slightly different nuance, focusing on the unusual nature of the event.

on rare occasions

This phrase shifts the focus to the occasions themselves being rare, rather than the occurrence.

seldom encountered

This alternative shifts the focus from occurring to being encountered, which might be more suitable in certain contexts.

not a common occurrence

This more verbose option emphasizes that the event is not typical or usual.

infrequent

This is a single-word adjective that directly describes the infrequency, a more concise option.

unusual

This is a shorter and more direct way to say something doesn't happen often.

FAQs

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

You can use "seldom occurring" to describe events or situations that don't happen frequently. For example: "Power outages are "seldom occurring" in this area because of the new power grid."

What are some synonyms for "seldom occurring"?

Some synonyms for "seldom occurring" include "rarely happening", "infrequently taking place", or "scarcely occurring".

Is it more appropriate to say "seldom occurs" or "seldom occurring"?

"Seldom occurs" is used to describe the frequency of an event in general, while "seldom occurring" describes an event that is currently happening infrequently. Both are grammatically correct, but their meaning differs slightly.

What is the difference between "seldom occurring" and "rarely occurring"?

The phrases "seldom occurring" and "rarely occurring" are very similar in meaning, both indicating something that does not happen often. "Rarely occurring" might be perceived as slightly more common than "seldom occurring", though the difference is minimal.