rarefied

adjective

rar·e·fied | \ ˈrer-ə-ˌfīd

variants: or less commonly rarified

Definition of rarefied

1 : being less dense

2 : of, relating to, or interesting to a select group : esoteric

3 : very high

Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about rarefied

Keep scrolling for more

Did You Know?

Rarefied was formed from the verb rarefy, which derives from a combination of the Latin rarus ("thin" or "rare") with facere ("to make") and has meant "to make thin" since the 14th century. In its original uses back in the 1500s, the adjective rarefied was on the lean side too; it meant "made less dense" (as in "the fog lifted and we could breathe more easily in the rarefied air"). By the 17th century, rarefy had gained the sense "to refine or purify," and over time rarefied followed suit.

Examples of rarefied in a Sentence

It's difficult to breathe in the rarefied air near the mountain's peak.

Recent Examples on the Web

One of his mentors was the Nobel laureate Paul Dirac, a legend in the rarefied world of theoretical physics. — Vikram Zutshi, Quartz India, "Why do abusive men (and the women who support them) behave the way they do?," 19 July 2019 Baylor’s Rhule high on Brewer About 100 miles north of Royal-Memorial Stadium, there’s a junior quarterback who once occupied the same rarefied air as Texas’ Sam Ehlinger. — Nick Moyle, ExpressNews.com, "Big 12: Is ‘Horns Down’ a penalty? ‘It depends’," 16 July 2019 Discovered by a local Buddhist monk, the fossil shows these archaic human relatives lived on the roof of the world in the rarefied air at almost 11,000 feet—an altitude that would leave many people today starved for oxygen. — Robert Lee Hotz, WSJ, "Fossil Points to a Vanished Human Species in Himalayas," 1 May 2019 Nearly 30 years after the internet first emerged as a tool for business, the management of supply chains at most MNCs, which do not operate in the rarefied air of Amazon and Alibaba, remains a surprisingly backward-looking, sluggish affair. — The Economist, "DigitisationDigitisation is helping to deliver goods faster," 11 July 2019 There is a reason that the Warriors are in rarefied, historic air, appearing in five straight NBA Finals. — Ann Killion, SFChronicle.com, "Even if Warriors conjure historic comeback, their dynastic era is ending," 8 June 2019 That’s the rarefied air that Denzel Washington lives and breathes in. — Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, "Chadwick Boseman calls Denzel Washington the 'G.O.A.T' and other highlights from his AFI Life Achievement tribute," 7 June 2019 With his probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election now over, special counsel Robert Mueller joins a small and rarefied club of prosecutors who have taken on the politically fraught task of investigating a sitting president. — Byron Tau, WSJ, "Probe Caps Robert Mueller’s Long Career in Public Service," 23 Mar. 2019 Overseeing any company with a trillion-dollar market cap is hard enough, but even in that rarefied space there are degrees of difficulty. — Steven Sinofsky, WSJ, "‘Tim Cook’ Review: How to Succeed a Success," 15 Apr. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'rarefied.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for rarefied

rarefied

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of rarefied

often disapproving : understood by only a small group of people : only for people who know about a particular thing

technical, of air : not having much oxygen because of being high up in the atmosphere

See the full definition for rarefied in the English Language Learners Dictionary

rarefied

Definition of rarefied

Did You Know?

Examples of rarefied in a Sentence

First Known Use of rarefied

English Language Learners Definition of rarefied

WORD OF THE DAY