Definition of pastoral
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a(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
2a : 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
pastoral
nounDefinition of pastoral (Entry 2 of 2)
1a : 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
2 : crosier sense 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
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Time Traveler for pastoral
The first known use of pastoral was in the 15th century
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