rare

¹

[ rair ]

adjective

, rar·er, rar·est.

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

rare

²

[ rair ]

adjective

, rar·er, rar·est.

1. (of meat) cooked just slightly:

   He likes his steak rare.

rare

³

[ rair ]

verb (used without object)

, Older Use.

, rared, rar·ing.

1. rear ²( def 6 ).

rare

¹

/ rɛə /

adjective

1. (of meat, esp beef) very lightly cooked

rare

²

/ 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

Derived Forms

• ˈrareness, noun

Other Words From

• rareness noun

Word History and Origins

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”

Word History and Origins

Origin of rare¹

Old English hrēr ; perhaps related to hreaw raw

Origin of rare²

C14: from Latin rārus sparse

Example Sentences

Professor Wolfgang Weisser, from the Technical University of Munich, said metrics that benchmark the adequacy of green infrastructure at a neighbourhood level in relation to human wellbeing were still rare.

From Science Daily

But it’s rarer to get cast members’ unfiltered stances on political or social issues.

From Los Angeles Times

After 15 months I’m still going strong because it turns out I have a rare form of the disease, an oligodendroglioma, that tends to respond better to treatment.

From BBC

A free vote is rare at Westminster, but even with one politicians can never detach themselves entirely from party politics.

From BBC

"But it turned out I had a benign brain tumour called a colloid cyst, which is very rare - three in a million."

From BBC

Related Words

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