rare earth

noun

1

: any of a group of similar oxides of metals or a mixture of such oxides occurring together in widely distributed but relatively scarce minerals

2

: rare earth element

Examples of rare earth in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Uzbekistan holds vast deposits of rare earths and critical minerals, while neighboring Kazakhstan is the world’s leading producer of uranium, accounting for 40% of supplies. — semafor.com, 19 Oct. 2026

When China restricted seven rare earth elements in April 2025, the disruption reached weapons programs directly. — Yardley Pohl, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Many depend on critical minerals such as copper and rare earth elements that face growing supply chain pressures. — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2026

Less than 1% of the world’s rare earth elements (REEs) are recycled, yet global demand for critical magnetic rare earths is expected to grow by more than 50% by 2035. — Richard Eisenberg, Time, 15 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1875, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for rare earth

• afterbirth
• berth
• birth
• dearth
• firth
• girth
• mirth
• worth
• childbirth
• rebirth
• stillbirth
• tamworth

Medical Definition

rare earth

noun

ˌrer-ˈərth 

1

: any of a group of similar oxides of metals or a mixture of such oxides occurring together in widely distributed but relatively scarce minerals

2

: rare earth element