rare

¹ American  

[rair] / rɛər /

adjective

rarer, rarest

1. coming or occurring far apart in time; unusual; uncommon: His visits are rare occasions.

   a rare disease;

   His visits are rare occasions.

   Synonyms:

   singular, extraordinary, exceptional

   Antonyms:

   common

2. thinly distributed over an area; few and widely separated.

   Lighthouses are rare on that part of the coast.

   Synonyms:

   infrequent, infrequent, sparse

   Antonyms:

   frequent

3. having the component parts not closely compacted together; not dense: lightheaded from the rare mountain air.

   rare gases;

   lightheaded from the rare mountain air.

4. unusually great.

   a rare display of courage.

5. unusually excellent; admirable; fine.

   She showed rare tact in inviting them.

   Synonyms:

   inimitable, incomparable, choice

   Antonyms:

   inferior

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rare ² American  

[rair] / rɛər /

adjective

rarer, rarest

1. (of meat) cooked just slightly.

   He likes his steak rare.

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rare ³ American  

[rair] / rɛər /

verb (used without object)

Older Use.

rared, raring

1. rear.

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rare ¹ British  

/ rɛə /

adjective

1. not widely known; not frequently used or experienced; uncommon or unusual

   a rare word

2. occurring seldom

   a rare appearance

3. not widely distributed; not generally occurring

   a rare herb

4. (of a gas, esp the atmosphere at high altitudes) having a low density; thin; rarefied

5. uncommonly great; extreme

   kind to a rare degree

6. exhibiting uncommon excellence; superlatively good or fine

   rare skill

7. highly valued because of its uncommonness

   a rare prize

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rare ² British  

/ rɛə /

adjective

1. (of meat, esp beef) very lightly cooked

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Other Word Forms

• rareness noun

Etymology

Origin of rare¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English rar(e), rer(e) “light, airy, loose,” from Latin rārus “loose, porous, wide apart, thin, infrequent”

Origin of rare²

First recorded in 1610–20; variant of earlier rear, Middle English rere, hrere, Old English hrēr “(of eggs) lightly boiled”

Example Sentences

It could be courtesy of a rare run of bright, clear days.

From Salon

Ansari’s family emigrated to the U.S. when he was 10, after winning the rare U.S. green card lottery.

From Los Angeles Times

But a rare overthrow instead gifted them two and extended the contest.

From BBC

To devotees of the Oscar-winning actress, who died in October at age 79, the first two movies are sure to be familiar, but the third is a far rarer commodity.

From The Wall Street Journal

Next week brings two of the most important economic data releases in the same calendar week, a rare occurrence due to the brief government shutdown earlier this month.

From Barron's

Related Words

• extraordinary
• limited
• occasional
• scarce
• singular
• strange
• subtle
• uncommon
• unique
• unlikely
• unthinkable
• unusual