Moderately rare

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "Moderately rare" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe something that is not common but also not extremely uncommon, indicating a middle level of rarity. Example: "The species is considered moderately rare, found in only a few isolated regions."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

9 human-written examples

Books only moderately rare are locked up in glass-fronted cases, and attendants are on hand to keep an eye on paintings and pieces of furniture priced at a hundred dollars or more.

The New Yorker

Monte Carlo simulation of moderately rare events of a random process indicate the random Fourier component phase PDFs are non-uniform, non-identically distributed, and dependent on the rarity of the target event.

Ocean Engineering

In the core zone, the three target species were moderately rare tree species.

Forest Ecosystems

However, rare and moderately rare species may not be well represented in random sampling, because such species may be absent in many sampling units, causing errors in the estimates of population sizes (Cochran 1977; Gaston 1994).

Forest Ecosystems

Indeed, it takes just a slight evolutionary unfitness a 1% drag on reproduction for a moderately rare gene to become extremely rare over the course of a few thousand years of human evolution.

Forbes

However, it remains unclear whether the underlying genetic variants are mostly moderately rare and can be identified by the genotyping of variants observed in sequenced cases in large follow-up cohorts or whether they will typically be much rarer and therefore more effectively identified by gene-based methods that seek to combine candidate variants.

Duke University

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

51 human-written examples

The study helped to geochemically delineate the CIOB basalts as N-MORB with perceptible imprints of E-MORB and OIB characteristics in the form of moderately enriched rare earth and incompatible elements.

Geochemical Transactions

Boughalem, one of the best of the little bistros in downtown Manhattan, is that rare moderately priced restaurant where the service is as professional as the cooking.

The New York Times - Arts

Most of the selected OTUs are moderately abundant or rare, so we expect d 0.5) and d(0) to have better power.

Bioinformatics

At least Grace is moderately sociable on the rare occasions when she awakens from her whiskey daze long enough to screen her favorite movie, "Top Gun".

The New York Times

They are only partially normalized, with transcript equalization being restricted to rare and moderately abundant transcripts.

BMC Genomics

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "moderately rare" when you want to indicate something isn't common but not extremely unusual. This suggests a middle ground between commonality and rarity.

Common error

Avoid using "moderately rare" when "rare" or "uncommon" would be more accurate. Ensure the degree of rarity truly reflects a middle ground.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "moderately rare" functions as a descriptive adjective phrase. It modifies nouns by indicating a degree of scarcity that is less extreme than 'rare' but more significant than 'uncommon'. This is supported by Ludwig's findings, where the phrase describes species, conditions, and objects that are not frequently encountered.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

60%

News & Media

30%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "moderately rare" is a grammatically correct and usable term, indicating a level of scarcity that is more than uncommon but less than truly rare. Ludwig's analysis of real-world examples shows its presence across diverse fields, including science, news, and general knowledge. Its primary function is descriptive, providing a balanced assessment of an item's availability or frequency. As Ludwig AI highlights, "moderately rare" is suitable for neutral or professional contexts, offering a nuanced and informative way to describe something that is not commonplace but not exceptionally scarce either.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Moderately uncommon

Mirrors the original phrase with a slight adjustment in wording.

Somewhat scarce

Emphasizes the limited availability of something.

Fairly uncommon

Highlights that something is not typically encountered.

Reasonably scarce

Indicates a limited quantity or presence.

Relatively infrequent

Focuses on the low frequency of occurrence.

Somewhat infrequent

Expresses a degree of rarity or infrequency.

Slightly unusual

Suggests a mild deviation from the norm.

Not particularly common

Highlights the absence of widespread occurrence.

Passably unusual

Implies something is unusual to a certain extent.

Kind of uncommon

An informal way of expressing that something is not common.

FAQs

How can I use "moderately rare" in a sentence?

You can use "moderately rare" to describe items, species, or events that are not commonly found but aren't extremely scarce either. For example, "The book was considered "moderately rare", with only a few copies surfacing each year."

What's the difference between "moderately rare" and "rare"?

"Moderately rare" implies something is less common than usual but not exceptionally hard to find. "Rare" suggests something is exceptionally hard to find. Thus "moderately rare" describes a less extreme situation than "rare".

What are some alternatives to the phrase "moderately rare"?

Alternatives include "somewhat scarce", "fairly uncommon", or "relatively infrequent". These phrases all indicate something is not very common.

Is "moderately rare" a grammatically correct phrase?

Yes, "moderately rare" is a grammatically correct phrase. It's a combination of an adverb ("moderately") modifying an adjective ("rare").