somewhat infrequent

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "somewhat infrequent" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe something that does not happen very often, but not completely rare. Example: "The meetings are somewhat infrequent, occurring only once every few months."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

First, the difference between 8 1/2 and 10 1/8 is unusual, since it is somewhat infrequent for a man to grow 1 5/8 inches after the age of twenty.

The New York Times

It is true that election year nominations have been somewhat infrequent in our history, mostly because relatively few Supreme Court seats have been vacated during the final year of a presidential term.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

' This sound is fairly infrequent in Gulf Arabic.

The Guardian - Travel

That's actually pretty infrequent.

Forbes

However, laryngeal involvement is somewhat of an infrequent manifestation.

BMC Cancer

Endothelial cells appeared somewhat swollen, with infrequent areas of fenestration.

CKJ: Clinical Kidney Journal

Sexual harassment was infrequent but " somewhat worrisome", as such instances are usually taken to court.

Human Resources for Health

Although unc-34 embryos enclose successfully and have normal LCPZ morphology, pocket cell protrusions are somewhat shorter and are more infrequent than they are in the wild-type (α = 0.05; Supplemental Data).

Current Biology

Hospice deaths were relatively infrequent across all haematological disease sub-types, but somewhat more common in mantle cell lymphoma and acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

BMC Palliative Care

Mucin production appears to be decreased, and intraductal in situ components are somewhat less frequent than in Grade 1. Grade 3 is infrequent.

BioMed Research International

The need for gynaecological critical care was infrequent, and overall the results of this study give a somewhat pessimistic picture of clinical outcome, with 26% mortality within 6 months.

Critical Care

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "somewhat infrequent" when you want to indicate that something occurs less often than expected, but not so rarely that it's considered exceptional. For example, "While severe side effects are possible, they are somewhat infrequent."

Common error

Avoid using "somewhat infrequent" when describing events that virtually never happen. The phrase implies some level of occurrence, so reserve it for situations that have at least a minimal chance of happening. Saying "winning the lottery is somewhat infrequent" is an understatement; consider using alternatives such as "extremely rare" or "highly unlikely".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "somewhat infrequent" functions as an adverbial modifier to describe the frequency of an event or occurrence. As Ludwig AI suggests, it indicates that something happens less often than expected but is not completely rare. The word "somewhat" softens the impact of "infrequent", indicating a moderate degree of rareness.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "somewhat infrequent" is a grammatically correct and usable expression to indicate that something occurs less often than expected but is not exceptionally rare. As Ludwig AI confirms, this expression is found in various contexts, particularly in news and scientific publications. The analysis shows the phrase's primary function is to provide a nuanced description of the frequency of specific events and to prevent a misunderstanding of the actual probability of an event. When writing, it is advisable to use "somewhat infrequent" to suggest the events are possible and less common, but not extremely rare. If you need to describe something exceptionally rare, it's better to use expressions like "extremely rare" or "highly unlikely".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

rather infrequent

Similar to the original, but uses "rather" for emphasis.

relatively uncommon

Emphasizes the rarity compared to a norm or expectation.

moderately rare

Highlights the degree of rareness with a modifier.

fairly unusual

Focuses on the deviation from what is typical or expected.

not particularly common

Expresses the idea that something is less frequent than average.

slightly atypical

Indicates a minor departure from the norm.

somewhat scarce

Highlights that something is not abundant or readily available.

a bit uncommon

Uses a more informal tone to convey the same meaning.

marginally infrequent

Emphasizes the small degree of infrequency.

hardly frequent

Stresses the lack of frequency or regularity.

FAQs

How can I use "somewhat infrequent" in a sentence?

You can use "somewhat infrequent" to describe events or occurrences that happen less often than average. For example, "Rainfall is somewhat infrequent during the summer months".

What's a more formal alternative to "somewhat infrequent"?

More formal alternatives include "relatively uncommon" or "moderately rare". These options are suitable for academic or professional writing.

Is "somewhat infrequent" the same as "very infrequent"?

No, "somewhat infrequent" implies something happens less often than expected but not exceptionally rarely. "Very infrequent" suggests the occurrence is close to never happening. The degree of rarity is higher with "very infrequent".

What are some synonyms for "somewhat infrequent"?

Synonyms include "fairly unusual", "not particularly common", or "slightly atypical". These phrases communicate a similar meaning of less-than-average occurrence.