not widely known; especially valued for its uncommonness; "a rare word"; "rare books"
Used in a Sentence
rare
How to use rare in a sentence. Example sentences and definitions for rare.
Editorial note
There's some rare issues that occur as a result.
Examples13
Definitions6
Parts of speech1
Quick take
not widely known; especially valued for its uncommonness; "a rare word"; "rare books"
Meaning at a glance
The clearest senses and uses of rare gathered in one view.
recurring only at long intervals; "a rare appearance"; "total eclipses are rare events"
not widely distributed; "rare herbs"; "rare patches of green in the desert"
Definitions
Core meanings and parts of speech for rare.
adjective
not widely known; especially valued for its uncommonness; "a rare word"; "rare books"
adjective
recurring only at long intervals; "a rare appearance"; "total eclipses are rare events"
adjective
not widely distributed; "rare herbs"; "rare patches of green in the desert"
adjective
having low density; "rare gasses"; "lightheaded from the rarefied mountain air"
adjective
marked by an uncommon quality; especially superlative or extreme of its kind; "what is so rare as a day in June"-J.R.Lowell; "a rare skill"; "an uncommon sense of humor"; "she was kind to an uncommon degree"
See also: uncommon
adjective
(of meat) cooked a short time; still red inside; "rare roast beef"
Example sentences
There's some rare issues that occur as a result.
Before 1980 it was rare to find young professionals with lots of money.
I think Internet message boards create the perception that outcomes like that are rare.
"Me: "Well, it can occur naturally, but it's extremely rare.
In my experience it's very rare for employees with vested stock to get ripped off in an acquisition.
Instances of fraud via card duplication are rare, so it's usually not worth the hassle.
They ate mainly seasonal vegetables, considered a chicken or roast of meat a rare treat and often went to bed hungry.
Of course not. But he achieved what so many deemed impossible in a noble manner and this is extremely rare in political leaders anywhere in the world.
It's rare that you can find candid descriptions of what it's like to work somewhere.... since Steve felt free to be candid, I figured I'd share my experiences.
This isn't because we have lots of horrible proposals coming to us or because we're grouchy old academics; it's because even if we like the general idea behind something, the precise details are rarely perfect.
In part this is because Washington allows non-competes, but also doesn't like to infringe on the free flow of labor -- temporary restraining orders preventing an individual from working for a company are extraordinarily rare.
It's no wonder that trials by jury are becoming so vanishingly rare that even the Supreme Court has written that "in todays criminal justice system, the negotiation of a plea bargain, rather than the unfolding of a trial, is almost always the critical point for a defendant.
This seems to be a rare case where removing words adds information, rather than removing it: "The talks failed because of politics" means roughly what it says, while "The talks failed because politics" means roughly "The talks failed because of politics, which is the kind of thing that always happens when politics are involved".Any linguists care to comment whether there's a term for this kind of meaning compression?
Frequently asked questions
Short answers drawn from the clearest meanings and examples for this word.
How do you use rare in a sentence?
There's some rare issues that occur as a result.
What does rare mean?
not widely known; especially valued for its uncommonness; "a rare word"; "rare books"
What part of speech is rare?
rare is commonly used as adjective.