rarefied

adjective

rar·​e·​fied ˈrer-ə-ˌfīd 

variants or less commonly rarified

1

: being less dense

2

: of, relating to, or interesting to a select group : esoteric

3

: very high

Did you know?

In the upper reaches of Chomolungma, known more familiarly as Mount Everest, the air is so rarefied—so much less dense than at lower elevations—that most climbers use supplemental oxygen in order to successfully complete their climb. This sense of rarefied, a word that comes from a combination of the Latin words rarus (“thin” or “rare”) and facere (“to make”), has been in use since the 1500s. A second, figurative sense of rarefied developed in the following century to describe things that can only be understood by a small or select group, i.e. one “thinned” from the majority of people by dint of their unique experience, expertise, or status. It’s this sense that we use when we say that to successfully summit Chomolungma puts one in rarefied company—just over 6,000 people have made it to the top at the time of this writing.

Examples of rarefied in a Sentence

It's difficult to breathe in the rarefied air near the mountain's peak.

Recent Examples on the Web

Artifex Bridal allows Lubeck to take ownership of her work while still maintaining its rarefied status. —Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 8 Apr. 2026

Yet despite its star power, travelers in search of a more rarefied environment haven’t always flocked to Marina Bay Sands. —Chris Schalkx, Travel + Leisure, 7 Apr. 2026

Step outside that rarefied tier, however, and the picture softens. —Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 4 Apr. 2026

Facelifts, previously a rarefied surgery for the over-60s crowd, have been embraced by those under 40 and even 30. —Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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