rare

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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of rare

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

OTHER WORDS FROM rare

rareness, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH rare

extinct, rare , scarce

Other definitions for rare (2 of 3)

rare²

[ rair ]

/ rɛər /

adjective, rar·er, rar·est.

(of meat) cooked just slightly: He likes his steak rare.

Origin of rare

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

OTHER WORDS FROM rare

rareness, noun

Other definitions for rare (3 of 3)

rare³

[ rair ]

/ rɛər /

verb (used without object), rared, rar·ing.Older Use.

rear² (def. 6).

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use rare in a sentence

Old age is the saddest and rarest way to go; I witnessed it only once.
A Million Ways to Die in Prison|Daniel Genis|December 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Not only, in the rarest of cases, where there a female lead in a blockbuster action movie, but the damsel in distress was a dude.
Team Peeta or Team Gale: Why the ‘Hunger Games’ Love Triangle Ruins ‘Mockingjay – Part 1’|Kevin Fallon|November 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This one features no red carpet, no paparazzi and, only in the rarest of circumstances, a celebrity.
Backstage at the Razzie Awards, Honoring Hollywood’s Worst Films|David Eckstein|March 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
George H.W. Bush was that rarest of rarities: a genuinely modest man in the office of the presidency.
David Frum on How George H.W. Bush Was a Man of Greatness in Modesty|David Frum|October 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST

In my book it certainly qualifies as a “rarest of the rare” kind of crime.
When India Wants the Rapists Hanged|Dilip D’Souza|September 12, 2013|DAILY BEAST
In Europe they are made of the most costly materials, and studded with the rarest gems.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
Turner was an artist of the rarest and most generous equipment, and he had to do what he did, and never reasoned why he did it.
The Portsmouth Road and Its Tributaries|Charles G. Harper
Happily in the pages of the ‘Tatler’ and ‘Spectator’ there is stored up for us the best and rarest of that quiet wisdom.
A Cursory History of Swearing|Julian Sharman
The walls were decorated with the rarest paintings, and the cella itself contained countless treasures.
Beacon Lights of History, Volume I|John Lord
A phenomenon614 of the rarest kind is said to have occurred on the shore between Tyre and Ptolemaïs.
The Geography of Strabo, Volume III (of 3)|Strabo

British Dictionary definitions for rare (1 of 2)

rare¹

/ (rɛə) /

adjective

not widely known; not frequently used or experienced; uncommon or unusuala rare word

occurring seldoma rare appearance

not widely distributed; not generally occurringa rare herb

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

uncommonly great; extremekind to a rare degree

exhibiting uncommon excellence; superlatively good or finerare skill

highly valued because of its uncommonnessa rare prize

Derived forms of rare

rareness, noun

Word Origin for rare

C14: from Latin rārus sparse

British Dictionary definitions for rare (2 of 2)

rare²

/ (rɛə) /

adjective

(of meat, esp beef) very lightly cooked

Word Origin for rare

Old English hrēr; perhaps related to hreaw raw

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

rare

OTHER WORDS FOR rare

OPPOSITES FOR rare

Origin of rare

OTHER WORDS FROM rare

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH rare

Other definitions for rare (2 of 3)

Origin of rare

OTHER WORDS FROM rare

Other definitions for rare (3 of 3)

Words related to rare

How to use rare in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for rare (1 of 2)

Derived forms of rare

Word Origin for rare

British Dictionary definitions for rare (2 of 2)

Word Origin for rare