rare

¹ American  

[rair] / rɛər /

adjective

rarer, rarest

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, 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

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rare ² American  

[rair] / rɛər /

adjective

rarer, rarest

1. (of meat) cooked just slightly.

   He likes his steak rare.

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rare ³ American  

[rair] / rɛər /

verb (used without object)

Older Use.

rared, raring

1. rear.

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rare ¹ British  

/ 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

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rare ² British  

/ rɛə /

adjective

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

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Other Word Forms

• rareness noun

Etymology

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”

Example Sentences

Under South Africa law, soldiers can only arrest civilians under rare circumstances and must then hand the suspect over to the police as soon as possible.

From BBC

In rare criticism of the government from pro-Kremlin media, a Russian tabloid this week published an article criticizing state efforts to police the internet.

From The Wall Street Journal

South Korea is well known for fossilized dinosaur tracks, nests, and eggs, but actual dinosaur bones are relatively rare.

From Science Daily

Death due to a rattlesnake bite is a rare occurrence.

From Los Angeles Times

This is a rare instance when U.S. stock exchanges take a breather on a day that is not a federal holiday.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

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