rarity

noun rar·i·ty \ ˈrer-ə-tē \

|Updated on: 10 Jun 2018

Examples: rarity in a Sentence

Definition of rarity

plural rarities

1 : the quality, state, or fact of being rare

2 : one that is rare

See rarity defined for English-language learners

See rarity defined for kids

Examples of rarity in a Sentence

In most sports, athletes over the age of 50 are rarities.
Snow is a rarity in this part of the world.
He is selling most of his collection, keeping only the real rarities.
The rarity of the disease makes it difficult to diagnose.

Recent Examples of rarity from the Web

Any random pond, field, or feeder can draw a real rarity.

— taylor piephoff, charlotteobserver, "Another rarity shows up: A roseate spoonbill," 30 May 2018
Cottonwood trees offer shade—a rarity on this hike—and there are plenty of spigots to fill up a water bottle during peak season.

— joe jackson, Outside Online, "How to See Grand Canyon National Park (Without a Boat)," 24 May 2018
Standing ovations at the Cannes Film Festival are no rarity — the audiences at the black-tie gala screenings have gained a reputation for being generous.

— amy kaufman, latimes.com, "Spike Lee's 'BlacKkKlansman' brings Cannes Festival audience to their feet with commentary on Trump's America," 14 May 2018
There are reasons deadly school fires are a relative rarity, says Jim Greeson, Indiana's State Fire Marshall.

— arika herron, Indianapolis Star, "Schools must weigh a crushing choice: Is a fire or a shooter the bigger threat to kids?," 10 May 2018
An extreme rarity over the decades, but a tiny chance of danger remained.

— vanessa hua, San Francisco Chronicle, "Close encounters of the coyote kind," 28 Mar. 2018
Averaging 27 points, nine assists and eight rebounds is an NBA rarity.

— tim reynolds, Houston Chronicle, "LeBron James has a favorite for the MVP award: Himself," 28 Mar. 2018
The movie passes the Bechdel Test, still a relative rarity in genre and sci-fi films.

— angela watercutter, WIRED, "Pacific Rim: Uprising," 22 Mar. 2018
Wet N Wild Megalast Liquid Catsuit Lipstick, $3, Amazon The formula is silky smooth and totally non-drying, a matte liquid rarity.

— kelsey stiegman, Seventeen, "The $3 Matte Liquid Lipstick That Puts Kylie Jenner's Lip Kits to Shame," 15 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'rarity.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of rarity

1542

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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rarity Synonyms

RARITY Defined for English Language Learners

rarity

noun

Definition of rarity for English Language Learners

: a person or thing that is not common or usual : a person or thing that is not seen or does not happen often
: something that is valuable because there are few of its kind
: the quality of being rare