low frequency
B2Formal to technical; common in academic, scientific, and professional discourse.
Definition
Meaning
occurring or happening only occasionally or at long intervals; not common or frequent.
In technical contexts (e.g., electronics, statistics, linguistics), refers to a low rate of occurrence, oscillation, or usage within a defined system or dataset.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily functions as a compound adjective (low-frequency) or noun phrase. Often hyphenated when used attributively before a noun.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in core meaning. Hyphenation conventions may vary slightly, with British English sometimes more likely to hyphenate compound adjectives.
Connotations
Neutral in both varieties. Slightly more technical connotation in general use.
Frequency
Comparable frequency in both varieties, with higher usage in technical/scientific registers.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[low-frequency] + nounoccur at a low frequencyof low frequencyVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Few idioms directly; conceptually related to 'few and far between'.”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to transactions, customer contacts, or events that happen rarely (e.g., 'low-frequency, high-value customers').
Academic
Used in linguistics for words not often encountered, or in statistics for rare events in a dataset.
Everyday
Describes anything that doesn't happen often (e.g., 'Low-frequency train services make commuting difficult').
Technical
Precise term in physics/engineering for waves or oscillations with a long wavelength (e.g., 'low-frequency radio waves').
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The system is designed to low-frequency filter the input signal.
- They low-frequency modulate the carrier wave.
American English
- The device low-frequency scans for interference.
- We need to low-frequency sample this data stream.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Buses come at a low frequency on Sundays.
- I hear a low-frequency sound in my ears.
- Earthquakes are a low-frequency event in this region.
- The word 'antediluvian' is a low-frequency word in modern English.
- The researcher analysed the low-frequency trading patterns of institutional investors.
- Low-frequency vibrations from the machinery caused structural fatigue over time.
- In corpus linguistics, hapax legomena represent the extreme end of low-frequency lexical items.
- The antenna was tuned to capture low-frequency radio emissions from deep space.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a 'low' number on a metronome or speedometer – it ticks or happens slowly, not often.
Conceptual Metaphor
FREQUENCY IS HEIGHT (low frequency = low on a scale of occurrence).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct calque 'низкая частота' for non-technical contexts where 'редкий' or 'нечастый' is more natural.
- Do not confuse with 'low speed' (низкая скорость). Frequency is about rate of recurrence, not speed of movement.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'low frequency' as an adverb without '-ly' (e.g., 'It happens low frequency' – incorrect; should be 'It happens infrequently' or 'at a low frequency').
- Omitting the hyphen when used as a compound adjective before a noun (e.g., 'a low frequency event' is less standard than 'a low-frequency event').
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'low-frequency' LEAST likely to be used?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. It is typically hyphenated when used as a compound adjective before a noun (low-frequency signal). It is not hyphenated when used predicatively (The signal is of low frequency) or as a noun phrase (We measured the low frequency).
The direct opposite is 'high frequency'. In more general terms, synonyms for the opposite concept include 'frequent', 'common', 'regular', or 'constant'.
Not directly. It describes events, actions, or characteristics. However, you can describe a person's actions (e.g., 'a low-frequency traveller') or their associated data (e.g., 'low-frequency customers').
It is neutral but leans towards formal or technical registers. In everyday conversation, people might use simpler terms like 'rare', 'not often', or 'seldom' instead.
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