English Meaning & Definitions
Not often; seldom; on very few occasions.
- โWe rarely go to the cinema these days because we prefer streaming movies at home.โ
- โShe rarely speaks in public, preferring to let her work do the talking.โ
English Synonyms & Near Equivalents
English Antonyms & Opposites
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for โrarelyโ.
Derived from the Middle English 'rare', which comes from the Latin 'rarus' meaning 'thin, loose, or infrequent'. The suffix '-ly' was added to form the adverbial state, evolving from the Old English '-lice'. Historically, it was used to describe things that were sparse or widely separated, eventually shifting to denote infrequency in time.
Think of a 'rare' steak; you only eat it 'rarely' because it is not common to find it cooked perfectly.
Frequently Asked Questions About โrarelyโ
1. What is the meaning of โrarelyโ in English?
In English, rarely (adverb) is defined as: โNot often; seldom; on very few occasions.โ.
2. How do you use โrarelyโ in a sentence?
โWe rarely go to the cinema these days because we prefer streaming movies at home.โ
3. What are English synonyms of โrarelyโ?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of โrarelyโ?
Derived from the Middle English 'rare', which comes from the Latin 'rarus' meaning 'thin, loose, or infrequent'. The suffix '-ly' was added to form the adverbial state, evolving from the Old English '-lice'. Historically, it was used to describe things that were sparse or widely separated, eventually shifting to denote infrequency in time.
๐ฌ๐งMore English Words to English
View all English words โThe base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.
A specific duration of time equivalent to one hour and forty-six minutes.