rarity
Americannoun
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rarities
plural
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something rare, unusual, or uncommon.
Snowstorms are a rarity in the South.
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something esteemed or interesting in being rare, uncommon, or curious.
That folio is a rarity that will bring a good price.
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the state or quality of being rare.
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rare occurrence; infrequency.
Volcanic eruptions on the island occur with great rarity.
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unusual excellence.
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thinness, as of air or a gas.
noun
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a rare person or thing, esp something interesting or valued because it is uncommon
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the state or quality of being rare
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of rarity
1550–60; < Latin rāritās thinness, equivalent to rār ( us ) rare 1 + -itās -ity
Vocabulary lists containing rarity
"My Last Duchess" by Robert Browning
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"The Tempest," Vocabulary from Acts 1 and 2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
I look for originality and rarity when collecting.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
He said: "It is a rarity and we get far fewer cats than people would believe."
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
Their rarity and longevity make them especially valuable to researchers studying glacier retreat, changing ocean conditions and the risks posed by drifting ice in polar regions.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 26, 2026
We accept no freebies, a rarity in today’s media world.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
His apology had been genuine, and Mrs. Glass knew it, but evidently she couldn’t resist taking advantage of it, perhaps because of its rarity.
From "Franny and Zooey" by J. D. Salinger
The diehards chase the rarities, Springsteen changes songs in and out as the spirit moves him, and there was one tour where he took requests via sign from the audience.
From Salon ● May 28, 2026
That upward spiral has meant that fewer and fewer individuals can actually afford to own even one of these teams—and that sports conglomerates went from rarities to the new normal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2025
Once rarities, they are now appearing at occasions ranging from birthday parties and weddings, to major sporting events.
From BBC ● Jun. 9, 2025
Showstoppers like Donna and Viatina-19 are rarities in Brazil, where there are more than 230 million cows, according to the United States Department of Agriculture.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 3, 2024
We were both rarities in fencing—Peter for his race and me because I wore hijab.
From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
