The Oxford Thesaurus An A-Z Dictionary of Synonyms - rare° adj.

1) uncommon, unfamiliar, unusual, exceptional, out of the ordinary, extraordinary, atypical; scarce, unparalleled, choice, recherch‚, phenomenal, infrequent, few and far between, sparse, scanty, limited, seldom encountered or met with or seen; unique, singular, one of a kind; Chiefly Brit thin on the ground: It was rare to see Liz in such good humour. Specimens in such perfect condition are rare. A copy of the first edition in this condition is rare. 2) fine, good, admirable, excellent, choice, select, special, first-rate, first-class, exquisite, superior, superlative, peerless, unequalled, matchless, incomparable, in a class by itself or herself or himself or themselves, sui generis, outstanding; collectible or collectable: O, rare Ben Jonson! On exhibit was a black pearl of rare beauty and remarkable size. Consideration for others seems a rare quality these days.