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

The weed that is now a discomfiting menace was once a rarity.

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The trial, which began Monday, has marked a pair of legal rarities in L.A.

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It was made of 99.999% gold—a rarity and the result of a sophisticated chemical process.

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The rarity of the painting justified the costs.

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The auctioneers called it "a timepiece of almost mythical status, it stands as the ultimate convergence of historical significance, design mastery, mechanical innovation, and rarity".

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Related Words

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