pastoral

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

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

The annual tennis tournament is held near a major City of the World (London); but in a pastoral village, quiet and precious.

— jon wertheim, SI.com, "Wimbledon is truly a treasure, but its classic strawberries and cream snack is not," 13 July 2017
Twenty-six buildings closed under the pastoral plan, including St. Ann and nearby St. John the Baptist.

— jordan otero sisson, courant.com, "Church Consolidations Could Impact Soup Kitchens, Other Ministries," 30 June 2017
Part of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, the Hispanic Apostolate provides assistance to the city's Hispanic population through pastoral services.

— NOLA.com, "Hispanic Apostolate's "Join the Angels Under the Stars" Gala," 26 June 2017
Low key and pastoral, Rancho La Puerta is the only destination spa in the region that’s accessible to day visitors.

— michele parente, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Destination spas offer luxury to the masses," 25 June 2017
The circa 1815, Federal-style brick home known as the Thomas Lyne House is surrounded by a pastoral mix of forest and rolling pasture—a gem of the Bluegrass region that's listed on both the State and National Registers of Historic Places.

— elizabeth finkelstein, Country Living, "This Historical Kentucky Farmhouse Has a Surprisingly Colorful Interior," 23 June 2017
The goal was to create a modern farmhouse with an interior that highlighted the Dreeses’ art collection and the pastoral views outside, while using as many reclaimed and local materials as possible.

— cynthia billhartz gregorian, kansascity.com, "Contemporary farmhouse pays homage to couple’s different backgrounds," 23 June 2017
The Lisbon United Methodist Church happily welcomes its new pastor, Heather Olson, whose first service will be held on July 2 at 10 a.m. Her assignment at Lisbon follows many varied service and pastoral experiences.

— Howard County Times, "Grand opening offers barbeque, blues and beverages [Lisbon/Woodbine]," 22 June 2017
Other forms of wealth and money, such as cows, successfully served pastoral societies, but weren’t easy to transport – and of course were susceptible to ecological disasters.

— chapurukha kusimba, Smithsonian, "Making Cents of Currency’s Ancient Rise," 21 June 2017

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

See Words from the same year

pastoral Synonyms

Synonyms

bucolic, country, rural, rustic (also rustical)

Antonyms

urban

Related Words

backwoods, backwoodsy, countrified (also countryfied), provincial; agrarian, agricultural; nonurban, semirural

Near Antonyms

citified, urbanized; metro, metropolitan, municipal; nonagricultural, nonfarm

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

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

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