rarity

[rair-i-tee]

noun

plural

rarities 

1. something rare, unusual, or uncommon.

   Snowstorms are a rarity in the South.

2. something esteemed or interesting in being rare, uncommon, or curious.

   That folio is a rarity that will bring a good price.

3. the state or quality of being rare.

4. rare occurrence; infrequency.

   Volcanic eruptions on the island occur with great rarity.

5. unusual excellence.

6. thinness, as of air or a gas.

rarity

/ ˈrɛərɪtɪ /

noun

1. a rare person or thing, esp something interesting or valued because it is uncommon

2. the state or quality of being rare

Word History and Origins

Origin of rarity¹

1550–60; < Latin rāritās thinness, equivalent to rār ( us ) rare ¹ + -itās -ity

Example Sentences

If the sale goes through, 23andMe’s equity holders could recover some of their investment in the company, a relative rarity in bankruptcy. 23andMe has little debt on its balance sheet.

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Unscripted public appearances thereafter became a rarity and crowds were kept at a distance when Biya's motorcade passed through the capital's streets.

Read more on Barron's

It’s an extreme rarity to see a stage filled with Black women, says Claudia Logan, who plays a combative but lovable stylist named Bea.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

An event that started off as a bluff has outgrown its genre roots to become a legitimate destination for rabid film fans, boasting rarities and prestige titles alike.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Still, even American-style Chinese food is somewhat of a rarity along Highway 395, the artery that connects the communities along the east side of the jagged Sierra Nevada mountains.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• infrequency 
• rareness www.thesaurus.com
• uncommonness www.thesaurus.com