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   rare

   /rɛː/

   adjective

   • 1. (of an event, situation, or condition) not occurring very often: "a rare genetic disorder" Similar infrequentfew and far betweenscarcesparsescatteredthin on the groundgoldenlike gold dustas scarce as hen's teethoccasionallimitedoddisolatedsporadicintermittentunaccustomedunwontedout of the commonOpposite commonfrequent
   • ▪ (of a thing) not found in large numbers and so of interest or value: "one of Britain's rarest birds, the honey buzzard" Similar unusualuncommonunfamiliarout of the ordinaryatypicalsingularremarkablerecherchéspecialpreciousOpposite ordinarycommonplace
   • ▪ unusually good or remarkable: "he plays with rare sensitivity" Similar exceptionaloutstandingunparalleledpeerlessmatchlessuniqueunequalledincomparableunrivalledinimitablebeyond comparebeyond comparisonwithout equalsecond to noneunsurpassedsurpassingexquisitesuperbconsummatesuperiorsuperlativefirst-classfirst-ratespecialchoiceexcellentvery fineinformal:A1stellartop-notchrare:unexampledOpposite commoneveryday

   Word Origin late Middle English (in the sense ‘widely spaced, infrequent’): from Latin rarus.

   Derivatives

   • 1. rareness noun

   Scrabble Points: 4

   • R

     1

   • A

     1

   • R

     1

   • E

     1

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