Rarity
/ˈrer.ə.ti/noun
The quality or condition of being uncommon, scarce, or unusual.
Did you know?The word descends from Latin rarus, which could describe something sparsely distributed, such as troops spread thinly across a field—not an occult term, but a vivid image of absence creating value.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Latin
Latin
rārus
“Thinly distributed, sparse, uncommon”
Late Latin
Latin
rāritās
“Sparsity, scarcity, infrequency”
Medieval French
Old French
rareté
“Rarity or scarcity”
15th Century
English
rarite
“The condition of being rare”
Modern English
English
rarity
“Uncommonness, scarcity, or an unusual object”
Explore more surprising origins