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 is very rare, I have never had this situation in my career. It is very unusual but you have to accept this and try and change the things we can change."

From BBC

Restaurant terraces sit deserted, while souvenir, watersports and perfume vendors watch for the rare passerby.

From Barron's

In a rare, televised press conference in Havana, the Cuban leader said the exchanges were “aimed at finding solutions through dialogue to the bilateral differences between our two nations.”

From The Wall Street Journal

And yet, it’s rare to find a storefront that compels me to pause and look, as so few display anything other than exactly what is on the racks inside.

From Los Angeles Times

In those rare cases, he writes his own composition — something generic yet glamorous.

From Los Angeles Times

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.