rarity

[rair-i-tee]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR rarity ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural rar·i·ties.

something rare, unusual, or uncommon: Snowstorms are a rarity in the South.

something esteemed or interesting in being rare, uncommon, or curious: That folio is a rarity that will bring a good price.

the state or quality of being rare.

rare occurrence; infrequency: Volcanic eruptions on the island occur with great rarity.

unusual excellence.

thinness, as of air or a gas.

Origin of rarity

1550–60; < Latin rāritās thinness, equivalent to rār(us) rare¹ + -itās -ity

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for rarity

scarcity, oddity, anomaly, exception, irregularity, treasure, curio, gem, curiosity, wonder, antique

Examples from the Web for rarity

Contemporary Examples of rarity

The price reflects its rarity as well, but also the finicky, difficult, and nuanced process of making Champagne.
Champagne: You’re Drinking It All Wrong
Kayleigh Kulp
December 20, 2014
Servin is a rarity: A cop who is being tried for his lethal actions.
Chicago’s Cops Don’t Even Get Investigated for Shooting People in the Back
Justin Glawe
December 5, 2014
Still, sci-fi and fantasy that is actually motivated by the issues surrounding women is a rarity.
Science-Fiction TV Finds a New Muse: Feminism
David Levesley
November 29, 2014
These films tend to be a rarity in Hollywood, and usually come in smaller indie packages.
The Resurrection of Kristen Stewart
Marlow Stern
October 11, 2014
She stressed the rarity of lifetime alimony and said that she believes that in a number of instances alimony remains a necessity.
Is Alimony Anti-Feminist?
Keli Goff
August 25, 2014

Historical Examples of rarity

Can it be that the rarity of this virtue in England has to do with our living in a straitened island?
Weighed and Wanting
George MacDonald
Of course its rarity made it all the more impressive when it did come.
The Channings
Mrs. Henry Wood
Their rarity, in my opinion, makes them more esteemed than they deserve.
The History of Louisiana
Le Page Du Pratz
A milk-white fawn, on account of its rarity, was given him by a peasant.
A Short History of Spain
Mary Platt Parmele
No doubt, he was anxious to emphasise the novelty and rarity of his literary adventures.
Grimhild's Vengeance
Anonymous

British Dictionary definitions for rarity

rarity

noun plural -ties

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

the state or quality of being rare

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

Word Origin and History for rarity

early 15c., "thinness;" 1550s, "fewness," from Middle French rarité or directly from Latin raritas "thinness, looseness of texture; fewness," from rarus (see rare (adj.1)). Sense of "a rare thing or event" is from 1590s.