rare

USAGE SUMMARY

The word "rare" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use the word "rare" when you are trying to describe something that is not common or happens infrequently. For example: My grandmother gifted me a rare antique vase for my birthday.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

"Very rare".

The New York Times

Other sites include the Huacas del Sol y Luna (adobe pyramids) and the Gocta Falls, one of the world's tallest waterfalls, while rare pink dolphins swim in this region's section of the Amazon.

The Guardian - Travel

Sadly, cricketing suicides are not rare, as David Frith's book Silence of the Heart makes plain.

The Guardian - Sport

Conservationists have recorded dramatic and rare video of the African golden cat, the continent's least-studied wild cat.

The Guardian

There are only a handful of exemptions to the ban on abortion – to save the mother's life, if the pregnancy was a result of rape, or, in a recent controversial addition, if the foetus has anencephaly, a rare birth defect in which the brain and skull do not develop.

The Guardian

Unemployment is rampant on Hormuz and I notice drug addicts in the street, a rare sight in Qeshm.

The Guardian

A model farmer with crops and livestock, he has solar electricity and cable television, which are extremely rare in Katine.

The Guardian

If a true sign of a great player is an ability to have slotted into any team in any era, Collins certainly fitted that rare category.

The Guardian - Sport

Ms Weissová-Hošková was introduced by the Nash's artistic director Amelia Freedman to an editor from Penguin, who commissioned the diaries Helga had kept as a child in Terezín, for publication this year – a major event, for such contemporary records (as opposed to memoirs) are rare.

The Guardian - Music

Yes Scotland believed those rare or reluctant voters – mostly poor, working class voters in marginalised communities, were heavily inclined to vote yes and would turn out in far higher numbers than a normal election.

The Guardian

But I went to speak to several psychiatrists before I started making the film and they told me that the person who killed her own kids was psychotic – not just depressed or angry but in a very strange and rare place, and that this did not happen to everybody.

The Guardian - Film

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "rare", ensure the context clearly indicates whether you mean 'uncommon' or 'highly valued because of its scarcity'. Consider adding clarifying details to avoid ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid using "rare" to describe events that are simply unexpected or surprising. Reserve it for situations genuinely characterized by scarcity or infrequency, not just subjective feelings.

Linguistic Context

The adjective "rare" primarily functions to describe nouns, indicating that they are not commonly found or experienced. Ludwig AI shows examples like "rare video" and "rare opportunity", where "rare" modifies the nouns to highlight their scarcity.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The adjective "rare" is a versatile term used to denote something uncommon or infrequent. As evidenced by Ludwig, its grammatical function is primarily descriptive, modifying nouns to emphasize their scarcity. The word maintains a neutral register, making it appropriate for various contexts, particularly in news and media. Ludwig AI's analysis confirms the word's correct usage, and this guide provides additional insights into best practices, common errors, and semantically related phrases.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

scarce

Indicates a limited quantity or availability, similar to "rare" but often emphasizing the difficulty in finding something.

uncommon

Suggests that something is not frequently encountered or seen.

infrequent

Emphasizes the low frequency of occurrence.

seldom seen

Highlights the infrequency of observation.

few and far between

Idiomatic expression indicating something is not only scarce but also separated by significant intervals.

thin on the ground

Implies scarcity, especially in a specific area or context.

not widespread

Indicates that something does not exist or occur in many places or instances.

exceptional

Suggests being unusual and outstanding, implying rarity by being beyond the norm.

unique

Implies being the only one of its kind, thus inherently rare.

hard to find

Focuses on the difficulty in locating or obtaining something due to its scarcity.

FAQs

How to use "rare" in a sentence?

You can use "rare" to describe something that is uncommon or infrequent, such as "a "rare opportunity"" or "a "rare disease"".

What can I say instead of "rare"?

You can use alternatives like "scarce", "uncommon", or "infrequent" depending on the specific context.

Which is correct, "rare occurrence" or "uncommon occurrence"?

Both "rare occurrence" and "uncommon occurrence" are correct, but "rare" often implies a stronger sense of infrequency or value than "uncommon".

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

"Rare" indicates something is infrequent or scarce, while "unique" suggests something is the only one of its kind. A "rare" item might have a few examples in existence, whereas a "unique" item has only one.