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pastoral 1 of 2

adjective

ˈpa-st(ə-)rəl How to pronounce pastoral (audio)
Definition of pastoralnext
1
as in rural
of, relating to, associated with, or typical of open areas with few buildings or people painted a pastoral scene of a flower-filled meadow

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ministerial
of, relating to, or characteristic of the clergy pastoral advice to a young couple preparing to marry

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

pastoral

2 of 2

noun

as in pastorale

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of pastoral
Adjective
Red neon tubes illuminated art works ranging from the disturbing (a black-and-white photograph of a person stuffing sausages in their mouth) to the mundane (a pastoral painting of a snowshoe-wearing rifleman). — Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 11 Sep. 2026 The market reminds visitors that just beyond the city’s harbor and highways, New England’s small towns and pastoral farms serve as the breadbasket for Boston’s growing farm-to-table movement. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Sep. 2026
Noun
Who would not raise a glass to the memory of so vexed a merrymaker, under whose spell the city is transformed into an exotic pastoral? — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025 The pastoral, yet bittersweet lament has turned into something of an emotionally restorative California wildfire reflection. — Marcus K. Dowling, Nashville Tennessean, 11 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pastoral
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pastoral
  1. rural
  2. ministerial
  3. pastorale
  4. idyll
  5. elegy
  6. psalm
  7. madrigal
  8. epic
Adjective
  • The hurricane posed the biggest threat to the rural and mountainous coast of Michoacan and Guerrero, which is scattered with small tourist towns and ports.
    — MEGAN JANETSKY, Arkansas Online, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Through the Back-to-the-Land movement, communes sprung up around rural parts of the country, with a large concentration in Northern California, on land that was cheap and easy to buy.
    — Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of rural
Adjective
  • While Brazil and Saudi Arabia engaged via ministerial levels through Foreign Ministers Mauro Vieira and Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, the scope of the forum expanded dramatically during the partner and outreach dialogues.
    — Mayu Saini, Footwear News, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Wong on Tuesday announced in the parliament that ministerial salaries will be adjusted upwards, having remained unchanged for 15 years.
    — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of ministerial
Noun
  • Including 55 serious operas, 6 cantatas, 53 comic operas, 17 operettas, 6 sing-spiele, 4 ballets, 4 vaudevilles, 2 oratorios, one each of fares, pastorales, masques, ballads and buffas.
    — WILLIAM ROBIN, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2017
Definition of pastorale
Noun
  • Ines takes a shine to both women, and the time the trio spends together, like the time the pincher and Sol shared in the first half of the book, forms a temporary idyll.
    — Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Supposedly posing a threat to their idyll on the outskirts are various marauding splinter groups running amok through the barren wasteland of the American Mountain West.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of idyll
Noun
  • Their books are therefore, in some respects, elegies to a conception of reading and writing which seems to be nearing an end.
    — Louis Menand, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026
  • In some ways, Birthright is an elegy to the Jewish experience in America—a place where Israel has been centered as our refuge and rightful homeland for the last 76-odd years.
    — Hannah Seligson, Vanity Fair, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of elegy
Noun
  • Psalm 23 is numbered Psalm 22 in the Greek Septuagint and Latin Vulgate because of differences in how the psalms are divided and numbered.
    — Frannie Comstock, Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 Aug. 2026
  • But presiding over his daughter’s outdoor wedding helped, fulfilling another psalm’s promise.
    — Peter Smith, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026
Definition of psalm
Noun
  • The concert will include Renaissance madrigals—one English and one French.
    — Myrna Petlicki, Chicago Tribune, 2 Mar. 2026
  • This is a lovely fundraiser to assist in the preservation of the cemetery, and the day is filled with master gardeners offering advice, madrigals singing, an archaeology talk, refreshments, kids’ activities and lots of lovely spring plants for sale.
    — Janet Kusterer, Baltimore Sun, 25 Mar. 2025
Definition of madrigal
Noun
  • Theron, who plays Calypso in Nolan’s epic, said the response has been particularly encouraging at a time when the industry remains uncertain about the future of moviegoing.
    — Lilly Workneh, HollywoodReporter, 20 Sep. 2026
  • The medieval historical epic starring Andrew Garfield was written and directed by Paul Greengrass.
    — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of epic

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Cite this Entry

“Pastoral.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pastoral. Accessed 28 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on pastoral

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pastoral

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