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

The official added that China would offer more permits for rare earths as a bargaining chip, without disclosing details on what Beijing would seek in return. — Arkansas Online, 21 Sep. 2026

The team measured 13 rare earth elements, including cerium, ytterbium and lanthanum, and examined whether exposure was associated with birth outcomes. — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 21 Sep. 2026

Behind the scenes, former Pentagon officials described a rush to strike the deals that raised concerns about due diligence, which were heightened when a deal with rare earths startup Reelement faltered. — Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 21 Sep. 2026

Critical Metals Corp, for its part, is a mining company focused on critical metals and minerals and is developing the Tanbreez rare earths mine in southern Greenland. — Sam Meredith, CNBC, 21 Sep. 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