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

As the military-style helicopter hovered above them, attendees from the rural, predominantly Latino community, began to get nervous. — Philip Wang, Time, 19 Oct. 2026

The deadly fire erupted Saturday at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, where fierce winds fueled flames that spread beyond the installation and into surrounding rural areas. — Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026

Fire crews scrambled late Saturday as fierce winds whipped flames beyond Canadian Forces Base Wainwright and into the surrounding rural area. — Rob Gillies, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026

Many rural or smaller towns also do not have a dedicated municipal vacuum or curbside leaf program. — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 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