The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.
rarefied — [adj] exclusive cliquish, elevated, esoteric, exalted, lofty, private, select; concept 554 Ant. commonplace … New thesaurus
rarefied — ► ADJECTIVE 1) (of air) of lower pressure than usual; thin. 2) very esoteric or refined … English terms dictionary
rarefied — [[t]re͟ərɪfaɪd[/t]] 1) ADJ GRADED: usu ADJ n (disapproval) If you talk about the rarefied atmosphere of a place or institution, you are expressing your disapproval of it, because it has a special social or academic status that makes it very… … English dictionary
rarefied — rar|e|fied [ˈreərıfaıd US ˈrer ] adj [usually before noun] 1.) a rarefied place, organization, or type of activity is only available to or understood by a small group of people used to show disapproval ▪ the rarefied atmosphere of academia 2.)… … Dictionary of contemporary English
rarefied — adjective 1 often humorous rarefied ideas, opinions etc can only be understood by, or only involve, one small group of people: the rarefied atmosphere of international diplomacy 2 rarefied air is the air in high places, which has less oxygen than … Longman dictionary of contemporary English
rarefied — /rair euh fuyd /, adj. 1. extremely high or elevated; lofty; exalted: the rarefied atmosphere of a scholarly symposium. 2. of, belonging to, or appealing to an exclusive group; select; esoteric: rarefied tastes. [1625 35; RAREFY + ED2] * * * … Universalium
rarefied — rar|e|fied [ rerə,faıd ] adjective 1. ) intended for a small group of people who are especially intelligent, rich, powerful, etc. This word often shows that you think people like this believe they are better than ordinary people: a glimpse into… … Usage of the words and phrases in modern English
rarefied — UK [ˈreərɪfaɪd] / US [ˈrerəˌfaɪd] adjective 1) intended for a small group of people who are very intelligent, rich, powerful etc. This word often shows that you think people like this believe they are better than ordinary people a glimpse into… … English dictionary
rarefied — rar•e•fied [[t]ˈrɛər əˌfaɪd[/t]] adj. 1) lofty or elevated; exalted: the rarefied atmosphere of a scholarly symposium[/ex] 2) appealing to or exemplifying an exclusive group; select; esoteric: rarefied tastes[/ex] • Etymology: 1625–35 … From formal English to slang
rarefied — adjective a) Esoteric. The air at the top of a high mountain is rarefied. b) Less dense than usual … Wiktionary
