Rare Definition & Meaning

American

British

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Examples

Related Words

Synonyms 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

rare 2 American [rair] / rɛər /

adjective

rarer, rarest

1. (of meat) cooked just slightly.

   He likes his steak rare.

rare 3 American [rair] / rɛər /

verb (used without object)

Older Use. rared, raring

1. rear.

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 rare 2 British / rɛə /

adjective

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It turned out to be acute myeloid leukemia with a rare mutation, mostly seen in older people.

From Los Angeles Times

It was a rare win for the lagging domestic box office.

From Los Angeles Times

The play recently received a rare revival at the American Players Theatre in Spring Green, Wis.

From The Wall Street Journal

On Dec. 30, the company announced that it had submitted a New Drug Application to the Food and Drug Administration for bezuclastinib in patients with non-advanced systemic mastocytosis, a rare blood disorder.

From Barron's

"That freedom is rare in professional sport. But with that comes responsibility - knowing when to push and when to recover."

From BBC

Related Words

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

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.