rare

¹ American  

[rair] / rɛər /

adjective

rarer, comparative rarest superlative

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, 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, comparative rarest superlative

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

Derived Forms

• rareness
  noun

Inflected Forms

Adjectives

• rarer
  comparative
• rarest
  superlative

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”

Explanation

If an event is rare, it doesn't happen often. If an object is rare, there aren't many of its kind. Obviously, finding a rare gem is a rare occasion. Rare comes from the Latin word rarus, meaning “widely spaced,” as rare things are — whether in actual space or in time. You thought it was rare to meet someone you have so much in common with, until he fainted looking at the rare steak you ordered. The rare that describes prepared meat actually has a separate origin: it comes from the long-gone word rear, meaning “half-cooked.”

Example Sentences

Rare dinosaur bone, stuck in a drawer for decades.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 30, 2026

MP Materials says USA Rare Earth embarked on a “raiding mission,” hiring at least eight key MP employees who were valuable “primarily because of information they received from MP Materials, not pre-existing expertise.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 29, 2026

In the lawsuit, MP says that it spent a decade investing billions in developing technical capabilities from scratch, whereas “USA Rare Earth lacked the people and the technology to fulfil its public commitments.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 29, 2026

A spokesman for USA Rare Earth says the company is “making significant strides in furthering America’s strategic interests.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 29, 2026

“A small duck, mature male. Rare to see in Britain.”

From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin

Related Words

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