rarity

Everyday

1. A rarity is a thing or event that is rare, which means it is not often seen or found. tree →
2. Rarity is the quality of being rare. tree →
3. (collecting, games) Rarity is how rare an item, card or stamp is, which often makes it more valuable. tree →

In the lessons

In nature lessons rare animals or plants are rarities. In everyday life children meet it in trading cards and games, where items have rarity levels like common, rare and legendary. In maths, rare events have low probability. Phrases: «a real rarity», «because of its rarity», «rarity level».

Examples

• Snow in Perth is a rarity. tree →
• Because of its rarity, the stamp is worth a lot of money. tree →
• That card's rarity makes everyone want it. tree →
• A sunny day on our camping trip was a rarity. tree →
• The museum shows rarities like a dodo skeleton. tree →
• In the game, items come in four rarity levels. tree →
• A white kangaroo is a rarity. tree →
• And she was still thinking of the subject, and how delightful it would be to possess such rarities, when the princes, her brothers, returned from the chase. tree →

Note

Countable for things (a rarity, rarities), uncountable for the quality. Adjective: rare. Rare things are not always valuable; it depends on whether people want them. In probability, a rare event is unlikely but still possible.