rarity

[ rair-i-tee ]

noun

, plural rar·i·ties.

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

Growing up in a family of six, including two perpetually ravenous brothers, leftovers were a rarity, and when they appeared, they were a kind of edible jackpot.

From Salon

My customers love the romance and rarity because it comes from Paris.

From Los Angeles Times

Two decades after Frankie Goes To Hollywood and The Communards, being an "out" band was still a rarity and, to certain minds in the music industry, a risk.

From BBC

“Out of the hundreds of pursuits that take place each year, it’s a rarity that they end like this.”

From Los Angeles Times

Ben Stokes let out his frustration on the field, a rarity for the England skipper, who later apologised to the team in the dressing room.

From BBC

Related Words

• infrequency
• rareness
• uncommonness