pastoral

adjective pas·to·ral \ ˈpa-st(ə-)rəl , nonstandard pa-ˈstȯr-əl \

Updated on: 25 Apr 2018

Definition of pastoral

1 a (1) : of, relating to, or composed of shepherds or herdsmen

a pastoral people, seminomadic in their habits
—J. M. Mogey

(2) : devoted to or based on livestock raising

a pastoral economy

b : of or relating to the countryside : not urban

a pastoral setting

c : portraying or expressive of the life of shepherds or country people especially in an idealized and conventionalized manner

pastoral poetry

a pastoral symphony

d : pleasingly peaceful and innocent : idyllic

pastoral dreams were shattered by the year's round of … unwelcome visitors, ruinous floods and procrastinating workmen
—Betty Fussell

2 a : of or relating to spiritual care or guidance especially of a congregation

pastoral counseling

b : of or relating to the pastor of a church

pastoral duties

—

pastorally

play \ˈpa-st(ə-)rə-lē\ adverb

—

pastoralness

noun

See pastoral defined for English-language learners

See pastoral defined for kids

Examples of pastoral in a Sentence

The house is situated in a charming pastoral setting.
Her favorite painting in the collection is a pastoral landscape.
The bishop outlined the church's views in a pastoral letter.

Recent Examples of pastoral from the Web

Records show Juan Gabriel bought the pastoral plots in the mid-2000s.

— jose lambiet, miamiherald, "Juan Gabriel's son seeks to sell late singer's South Florida properties | Miami Herald," 19 Apr. 2018
The pastoral in painting and literature tend to portray a more serene vision of humanity's relationship to nature.

— charles mcnulty, latimes.com, "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, the farmhouse next door, and unexpected connections in between," 16 Apr. 2018
Sorrell led her instrumentalists with vigor and a fine ear for Monteverdi's piquant musical textures, and the chorus, in simple costumes reminiscent of Greek pastoral garb, was pitch-perfect.

— special to the plain dealer, cleveland.com, "Apollo's Fire ascends with affecting production of 'L'Orfeo' (review)," 16 Apr. 2018
Hirtle, who chairs PACEM, said that the group was founded about 18 years ago at the time of the Plainfield tercentennial, and has continued despite frequent pastoral changes at many of the churches.

— janice steinhagen, Courant Community, "Plainfield Faithful Hold Ecumenical Good Friday Service," 10 Apr. 2018
In the early-morning sun, the scene looked almost pastoral.

— Longreads, "The Quest for the Collision Zone: An Arctic Expedition," 12 Mar. 2018
Not a sound troubles the pastoral scene on a cold, gray February morning.

— Bloomberg.com, "France’s Once-Vaunted Trains Are Macron’s Biggest Challenge Yet," 3 Apr. 2018
As its title suggests, the storms of American Pie have given way to a more pastoral world, nourished by insights that usually come with time.

— bob doerschuk, USA TODAY, "Half a century after 'American Pie,' Don McLean serves up 'Botanical Gardens'," 20 Mar. 2018
Studio Peregalli preserved the original, then expanded the pastoral imagery to extend alongside the balustrades that frame the curving staircase.

— cynthia frank, ELLE Decor, "House Tour: A Once-Crumbling Milan Apartment Now Revels In Maximalist Decor," 13 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pastoral.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of pastoral

Middle English, from Latin pastoralis, from pastor herdsman

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

See Words from the same year

pastoral Synonyms

Other Animal Husbandry Terms

apiary, bantam, calico, girth, hogwash, mast, rut

pastoral

noun \ ˈpa-st(ə-)rəl ; sense 1d is often ˌpa-stə-ˈräl , -ˈral \

Definition of pastoral

1 a : a literary work (such as a poem or play) dealing with shepherds or rural life in a usually artificial manner and typically drawing a contrast between the innocence and serenity of the simple life and the misery and corruption of city and especially court life

b : pastoral poetry or drama

c : a rural picture or scene

d : pastorale 1a

2 : crosier 1

3 : a letter of a pastor to his charge: such as

a : a letter addressed by a bishop to his diocese

b : a letter of the house of bishops of the Protestant Episcopal Church to be read in each parish

Recent Examples of pastoral from the Web

However, Hamilton's Thomas Kail lost out in the best directing race to Sam Mendes for Jez Butterworth's modern Irish pastoral, The Ferryman, which is scheduled to transfer to Broadway in the fall.

— alex ritman, The Hollywood Reporter, "The Olivier Awards 2018: Full List of Winners," 8 Apr. 2018
The result is something that is looser and more open-ended, less hard science fiction than a dreamy kind of science pastoral, albeit one populated with mutant crocodiles.

— george pendle, Esquire, "Alex Garland Mutated Annihilation Into a Psychedelic Sci-Fi Horror," 21 Feb. 2018
Ashbery chose fractured pastoral; Rich extracted metaphors from geology, archaeology, astronomy and biology.

— wayne koestenbaum, New York Times, "Book Review Newsletter," 15 July 2016

Origin and Etymology of pastoral

see ¹pastoral

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1584

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

Other Literature Terms

apophasis, bathos, bildungsroman, bowdlerize, caesura, coda, doggerel, euphemism, poesy, prosody

PASTORAL Defined for English Language Learners

pastoral

adjective

Definition of pastoral for English Language Learners

: of or relating to the countryside or to the lives of people who live in the country
: of or relating to the spiritual care or guidance of people who are members of a religious group
: of or relating to the pastor of a church