different between seldom vs unlikely

English

Alternative forms

• seldome (obsolete)

Etymology

From late Middle English seldom, alteration of earlier selden, from Old English seldan (“seldom”), from Proto-Germanic *seldan?. Cognate with Saterland Frisian säilden (“seldom”), West Frisian selden, komselden (“rare, seldom”), Dutch zelden, German selten, Danish sjælden, Norwegian sjelden, Swedish sällan, Faroese sjáldan, Icelandic sjaldan. More at seld and selly.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?s?ld?m/

Adverb

seldom (comparative more seldom or seldomer, superlative most seldom or seldomest)

1. Infrequently, rarely.

   Synonyms: barely, hardly, rarely, scarcely, infrequently, seldomly; see also Thesaurus:occasionally

   Antonyms: often, frequently; see also Thesaurus:often

Usage notes

• It is grammatically a negative word. It therefore collocates with ever rather than never. Compare he seldom ever plays tennis with he almost never plays tennis.
• The form seldomly, derived from the (now archaic) adjectival use, exists, but has not gained widespread acceptance.

Derived terms

• seldom or ever
• seldomtimes
• unseldom

Translations

Adjective

seldom (comparative more seldom or seldomer, superlative most seldom or seldomest)

1. (archaic) Rare; infrequent.

   Synonyms: geason, uncommon; see also Thesaurus:rare

   • 1650, Jeremy Taylor, The Rule and Exercises of Holy Living

     a suppressed and seldom anger

Derived terms

• seldomly
• seldomness

Related terms

• seld

Translations

Anagrams

• lesdom, models, somdel

Middle English

Etymology 1

From Old English seldan.

Adverb

seldom

1. Alternative form of selden (“seldom”)

Etymology 2

From Old English selden.

Adjective

seldom

1. Alternative form of selden (“uncommon”)

English

Etymology

From Middle English unlykely, unlikly, unlykly, unlicli, equivalent to un- +? likely.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?n?la?kli/

Adjective

unlikely (comparative unlikelier or more unlikely, superlative unlikeliest or most unlikely)

1. Not likely; improbable; not to be reasonably expected.

   It's very unlikely that you'll be able to walk perfectly after being in a cast for six months.

   • 1895, H. G. Wells, The Time Machine Chapter X

     Now, I still think that for this box of matches to have escaped the wear of time for immemorial years was a strange, and for me, a most fortunate thing. Yet oddly enough I found here a far more unlikely substance, and that was camphor.

2. Not holding out a prospect of success; likely to fail; unpromising.

   unlikely means

Translations

Adverb

unlikely (comparative more unlikely, superlative most unlikely)

1. In an improbable manner.

Translations

Noun

unlikely (plural unlikelies)

1. Something or somebody considered unlikely.
   • 1980, Robert K. Lindsay, Applications of artificial intelligence for organic chemistry

     The molecular ion candidates are divided by the testing phase into three categories: rejects, unlikelies, and probables. Differences between each candidate and the prominent peaks in the spectrum are computed.

   • 1996, Laurie R. King, To Play the Fool

     "Here is my every possible phone number, plus a few unlikelies. And I've also put down the numbers of Karin and Wade, in case you've lost them. Karin can come anytime; Wade, up until six in the morning."

   • 2001, Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Marci Shimoff, Chicken soup for the mother's soul 2 (page 166)

     Then the most unlikely of unlikelies happened. We got another phone call. Another woman wanted to give us a baby—a boy, born just that morning. We walked into a hospital, and he was placed into my arms.

References

• unlikely in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.