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Rarely vs Generally - What's the difference?

rarely | generally |

As adverbs the difference between rarely and generally

is that rarely is not occurring at a regular interval; seldom; not often while generally is popularly or widely.

rarely

English

Adverb

(en adverb)
  • Not occurring at a regular interval; seldom; not often.
    • We rarely go to the theatre.
    Rarely do you ever find an eagle this far up the river.
  • Unusually well; excellently.
  • To a rare degree; very.
  • *, II.32:
    • others speake very honourably of his life and death, and in all other circumstances declare him to have beene a most excellent and rarely virtuous man.

    Usage notes

    It is grammatically a negative word. It therefore collocates with ever rather than never. * Compare We rarely ever go to the theatre.'' with ''We almost never go to the theatre.

    Synonyms

    * barely * hardly * infrequently * once in a while * seldom * sporadically * scarcely

    Antonyms

    * frequently, usually, often

    References

    * * English frequency adverbs

    generally

    English

    Adverb

    (en adverb)
  • Popularly or widely.
  • As a rule; usually.
  • * 1661 , , The Life of the most learned, reverend and pious Dr. H. Hammond
    • During the whole time of his abode in the university he generally spent thirteen hours of the day in study; by which assiduity besides an exact dispatch of the whole course of philosophy, he read over in a manner all classic authors that are extant
  • *
    • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=1 , passage=He used to drop into my chambers once in a while to smoke, and was first-rate company. When I gave a dinner there was generally a cover laid for him. I liked the man for his own sake, and even had he promised to turn out a celebrity it would have had no weight with me.}}
  • *{{quote-book, year=1922, author=(Michael Arlen), title= “Piracy”: A Romantic Chronicle of These Days, chapter=3/19/2
    • , passage=Ivor had acquired more than a mile of fishing rights with the house?; he was not at all a good fisherman, but one must do something?; one generally , however, banged a ball with a squash-racket against a wall.}}
  • Without reference to specific details.
  • (obsolete) Collectively; as a whole; without omissions.
  • * The Holy Bible, 2 (w) xvii
    • I counsel that all Israel be generally gathered unto thee.

    Statistics

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