Library / English Dictionary

RARITY

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Something unusual -- perhaps worthy of collecting

Synonyms:

curio; curiosity; oddity; oddment; peculiarity; rarity

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("rarity" is a kind of...):

object; physical object (a tangible and visible entity; an entity that can cast a shadow)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "rarity"):

bric-a-brac; knickknack; knickknackery; nicknack; whatnot (miscellaneous curios)

collectable; collectible (things considered to be worth collecting (not necessarily valuable or antique))

collector's item; piece de resistance; showpiece (the outstanding item (the prize piece or main exhibit) in a collection)

Derivation:

rare (marked by an uncommon quality; especially superlative or extreme of its kind)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A rarified quality

Example:

the tenuity of the upper atmosphere

Synonyms:

low density; rarity; tenuity

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Hypernyms ("rarity" is a kind of...):

denseness; density (the amount per unit size)

Derivation:

rare (having low density)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Noteworthy scarcity

Synonyms:

infrequency; rareness; rarity

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Hypernyms ("rarity" is a kind of...):

scarceness; scarcity (a small and inadequate amount)

Derivation:

rare (not widely distributed)

Credits