rarity

rarity — noun

1. the fact that something exists in very small numbers or happens very infrequentl

1.nounB2
Definition

the fact that something exists in very small numbers or happens very infrequently, making it unusual or noteworthy.

Example

The rarity of the ancient manuscript made it extremely valuable to the museum.

the rarity of [something] as subject

Cole was surprised by the rarity of snowfall in that part of southern India.

Common collocations
  • extreme rarity
  • relative rarity
  • great rarity
  • given the rarity of
  • due to the rarity of
  • because of the rarity of
  • the rarity of [something] is [adjective]
Synonyms
  • scarcity

    focuses more on limited supply than on the effect of being unusual

  • infrequency

    specifically about how rarely something happens, not about objects

  • uniqueness

    stronger — suggests there is only one of a kind

Antonyms
  • commonness

    the state of being frequently found or seen

  • abundance

    large quantity, the opposite of scarcity

Grammar Patterns

the rarity of [something]

Usage Note

This uncountable sense emphasizes the state or degree of rareness. It is often followed by the preposition 'of' to specify what is rare. Do not use with a or an.

Common Mistakes

The rarity of this flower are well known.
The rarity of this flower is well known.
'rarity' in this sense is uncountable and takes a singular verb.
This is a rarity of this disease among children.
The rarity of this disease among children is striking.
Do not use 'a' + 'rarity of'; use 'the rarity of' for this meaning.

2. an unusually uncommon person, object, or event that people consider especially i

2.nounB2
Definition

an unusually uncommon person, object, or event that people consider especially interesting or valuable.

Example

James discovered that the old coin was a rarity, with only twelve like it known to exist.

[something] is a rarity — countable noun in predicate

Honest politicians who keep their promises are a rarity in any country.

Common collocations
  • a rarity
  • a real rarity
  • a true rarity
  • a rare rarity
  • become a rarity
  • consider something a rarity
  • be something of a rarity
  • rarities
Synonyms
  • collector's item

    specifically something worthy of collecting, often with financial value

  • curiosity

    something unusual that arouses interest or wonder

  • oddity

    slightly more informal; emphasizes strangeness rather than value

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

[something] is a rarity

[something] is a real/true rarity

Usage Note

In this countable sense, 'rarity' refers to a specific rare item or person. It commonly follows the verb 'be' (is a rarity, are a rarity). The plural form 'rarities' is used when listing or referring to multiple rare things.

Common Mistakes

This stamp is rarity.
This stamp is a rarity.
In the countable sense, always include the article a or an.
She collected many rarity.
She collected many rarities.
Use the plural form rarities when referring to more than one rare item.

Word family

  • rare
    adjectiveB1
  • rarely
    adverbB1
  • rareness
    nounC1
  • rarer
    adjectiveB1
  • rarest
    adjectiveB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

A 'rarity' is something uncommon that people find valuable or interesting — the word carries a positive or neutral tone and often implies worth. A 'curiosity' is an object that arouses interest because it is strange or little-known, without necessarily being valuable; antique shops sell curiosities for their oddness. An 'oddity' is more informal and stresses strangeness or eccentricity — a three-legged frog is an oddity, not a rarity, because its value lies in its weirdness. A 'collector's item' is specifically an object that collectors want to own, often because it is rare and its value is likely to increase. For example, a first-edition book that only fifty copies exist is both a rarity and a collector's item, whereas a strangely shaped rock from a riverbed is a curiosity but rarely a collector's item.

rarity ↗curiosity ↗odditycollector's item

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • something of a rarity
  • be a rarity
  • become a rarity
  • by reason of its rarity

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

From Latin 'raritas' (looseness, fewness), derived from 'rarus' (thin, loose, few). Entered English through French 'rarité' in the 1500s, originally describing the thinness of air or density of materials, then shifted to mean 'uncommonness' by the 1600s.