rarefied

adjective

rar·​e·​fied ˈrer-ə-ˌfīd How to pronounce rarefied (audio)
variants or less commonly rarified
1
: being less dense
2
: of, relating to, or interesting to a select group : esoteric
3
: very high

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In the upper reaches of Chomolungma, known more familiarly as Mount Everest, the air is so rarefied—so much less dense than at lower elevations—that most climbers use supplemental oxygen in order to successfully complete their climb. This sense of rarefied, a word that comes from a combination of the Latin words rarus (“thin” or “rare”) and facere (“to make”), has been in use since the 1500s. A second, figurative sense of rarefied developed in the following century to describe things that can only be understood by a small or select group, i.e. one “thinned” from the majority of people by dint of their unique experience, expertise, or status. It’s this sense that we use when we say that to successfully summit Chomolungma puts one in rarefied company—just over 6,000 people have made it to the top at the time of this writing.

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Millionaires once had a rarefied mystique, inspiring curiosity and causing envy among everyday Americans who dreamed of financial independence. Mark Dent, HubSpot, 16 May 2025 The tabloid reader commuting home on the No. 4 train was given the same all-access pass to his protean intellect and lyrical, digressive sentences as the Park Avenue neighbor of William F. Buckley’s reading him, fireside, in the more rarefied outlets. Ginia Bellafante, New York Times, 16 May 2025 Pascal, meanwhile, remains on the rarefied list of Hollywood stars who haven't appeared in the MCU. Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 12 May 2025 For people who find grass too rarefied, there are six clay courts and two cushioned hardtop courts. Thomas Swick, Sun Sentinel, 6 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for rarefied

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of rarefied was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Rarefied.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rarefied. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.

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