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

Part doughnut shop, part burger joint, Bloom resides in a historic building that once housed a grocery store and fits right into that rural landscape. — Lia Picard, AJC.com, 27 Sep. 2026

Masuda said his priorities include keeping rural hospitals open, tackling the high cost of living — with a focus on housing, health care and energy — and preparing for and mitigating the effects of wildfires through forest management. — Madison Smalstig, Sacbee.com, 27 Sep. 2026

Although inflicting pain globally, the energy crisis is biting particularly hard in the rural expanses and communities of the European Union’s largest country by area. — ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026

The two had recently become engaged, and the couple matched in rural-chic outfits. — Katherine J Igoe, InStyle, 26 Sep. 2026

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
• sural
• extramural
• intramural
• intrapleural
• figural

Kids Definition

rural

adjective

ru·​ral ˈru̇r-əl 

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