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

Examples of rare earth in a Sentence

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.
While some in the international community have derided Trump’s proposal for Ukraine’s rare earth minerals, Macron sees it as a way to keep Trump, and by extension the U.S., invested in defending Ukraine, if only for its natural resources. Brian Bennett, TIME, 25 Feb. 2025 Trump also has made demands for territory — Greenland, Canada, Gaza and the Panama Canal — as well as precious rare earth minerals from Ukraine. Matthew Lee and Aamer Madhani, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2025 Recently, he’s suggested taking a transactional approach to aid, saying the US should receive access to rare earth minerals in return, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has rejected. Lou Robinson, CNN, 23 Feb. 2025 Most recently, Zelensky made by U.S. Treasury Secretary that would give American companies 50 percent ownership of Ukraine's rare earth mineral deposits as a way to pay the country back for its military aid. Jordan King, Newsweek, 22 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for rare earth

Word History

First Known Use

1875, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of rare earth was in 1875

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Cite this Entry

“Rare earth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rare%20earth. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

Medical Definition

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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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