/ ˈreərəti; NAmE ˈrer-/ noun ( pl. -ies )
1.
[ C ] a person or thing that is unusual and is therefore often valuable or interesting :
Women are still something of a rarity in senior positions in business.
His collection of plants contains many rarities.
2.
(also less frequent rare·ness ) [ U ] the quality of being rare :
The value of antiques will depend on their condition and rarity.
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English : from Latin raritas , from rarus far apart, infrequently found.