rare

The word “rare” means not common; found or happening only occasionally. In plain terms, not seen or happening very often — or, for meat, barely cooked.

“Rare” is pronounced reh-uh (/ɹɛɚ/ in IPA).

Here is “rare” used in a sentence: “A total solar eclipse is a rare sight.”

Words with a similar meaning to “rare” include dearthy, few and far between, geason, infrequent, in short supply and raresome.

The opposite of “rare” — its antonyms — are common and widespread.

“Rare” is an adjective.

The word “rare” comes from Latin. From Latin rarus, "thin, spaced apart, infrequent" — the idea of things being spread far apart gave us the modern sense of "uncommon.".

“Rare” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

'Rare' means few of something exist and it is seldom found or seen at all, such as rare stamps or a rare bird. 'Scarce' means something is temporarily in short supply relative to demand, like water in a drought. Rare describes lasting uncommonness, while scarce often describes a passing shortage.

'Rare' means very few exist, so there are still others like it, just not many. 'Unique' means one of a kind, with nothing else quite the same. Something rare is uncommon, while something unique is singular. Strictly, unique has no degrees, so the phrase 'very unique' is best avoided.

The main opposites are 'common' and 'frequent,' describing things found or happening often. Depending on context, you might also use ordinary, widespread, or abundant. Where rare means seldom seen, its opposites all point to something encountered regularly or existing in large numbers everywhere.

Rare is neutral and takes its tone from context. It is often positive, implying something special, precious, or valuable, as in a rare talent or a rare gem. But it can be negative too, as in a rare disease. The word describes scarcity; whether that is good or bad depends on the subject.