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 of rural

• pastoral
• country
• rustic
• bucolic

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

Picking up in Mike Wheeler’s (Finn Wolfhard) home, the new season anchors the action firmly in Hawkins, instead of jumping between rural Russia and California as the prior season did. —Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2025

Set across the rural funeral circuit of Northern Ireland, the film follows a struggling actor who takes on the role of a professional mourner. —Alex Ritman, Variety, 26 Nov. 2025

The evening of Friday, March 20, 1992, began as a fun night out for Tanna Togstad and Tim Mumbrue in the rural county of Waupaca, Wisconsin. —Dateline Nbc, NBC news, 26 Nov. 2025

Caledonia is more rural than Mount Pleasant, with more expansive lots, fewer homes and businesses, and almost 30 miles of horseback riding trails that cross property lines. —Jordan Novet, CNBC, 25 Nov. 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