rural

adjective

ru·​ral ˈru̇r(-ə)l 

ˈrər(-ə)l

: of or relating to the country, country people or life, or agriculture

rurality

ru̇-ˈra-lə-tē 

noun

rurally

ˈru̇r-ə-lē 

ˈrər-

adverb

Synonyms

• bucolic
• country
• pastoral
• rustic
• rustical

Examples of rural in a Sentence

She lives in a rural area.

grew up in a rural community where more than half the people were farmers

Recent Examples on the Web

Drake and a colleague launched an IPS pilot in New Hampshire in the early 1990s, and then followed with pilots in a mix of rural and urban areas, including in inner city Washington DC. —Michael Bernick, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025

Clinching a deal on rural hospitals may be the key to unlocking the votes of senators like Hawley, Collins, and Tillis. —Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 25 June 2025

While Senate committee leaders have made several significant changes to the bill in recent days, the issue of funding for rural hospitals has emerged as a major roadblock. —Claudia Grisales, NPR, 25 June 2025

Trump also issued an executive order restricting the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, which lends cash to small businesses in rural, native and urban communities. —Bloomberg News, Chicago Tribune, 24 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin ruralis, from rur-, rus open land — more at room

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing rural

• rural dean
• rural free delivery
• rural route

Rhymes for rural

• crural
• dural
• jural
• mural
• neural
• pleural
• plural
• extramural
• intramural
• intrapleural
• figural
• flexural

Kids Definition

rural

adjective

ru·​ral ˈru̇r-əl 

: of or relating to the country, country people or life, or agriculture