rare earth

noun

1

: any of a group of similar oxides of metals or a mixture of such oxides occurring together in widely distributed but relatively scarce minerals

2

: rare earth element

Examples of rare earth in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

China’s rare earths trade shrunk further, with exports plunging by more than 40% in September from a year ago, and imports down by around 9%. —Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2024

It's got everything: it's got the rare earth, it's got the oil, it's got the gas. —Stephen Fowler, NPR, 24 Sep. 2024

The move shook Japan’s electronics sector and threatened to choke off global supplies of high-power magnets produced in Japan employing rare earths from China. —Mahnoor Khan, Fortune Asia, 2 Sep. 2024

China currently has the largest deposit of rare earth elements on Earth and remains the main global provider. —Devika Rao, theweek, 1 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1875, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Medical Definition

rare earth

noun

ˌrer-ˈərth 

1

: any of a group of similar oxides of metals or a mixture of such oxides occurring together in widely distributed but relatively scarce minerals

2

: rare earth element