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rural

adjective
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ru·​ral | \ ˈru̇r(-ə)l How to pronounce rural (audio) , ˈrər(-ə)l \

Definition of rural

: of or relating to the country, country people or life, or agriculture
Other Words from rural Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about rural

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Other Words from rural

rurality \ ru̇-​ˈra-​lə-​tē How to pronounce rural (audio) \ noun
rurally \ ˈru̇r-​ə-​lē How to pronounce rural (audio) , ˈrər-​ \ adverb

Synonyms & Antonyms for rural

Synonyms

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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 Few Australians have taken up offers of government money to relocate to rural areas. — David Winning, WSJ, "Without Tourists to Put to Work, Australia’s Farms Are Short on Labor," 20 Feb. 2021 And those in rural areas, where COVID-19 isn’t spreading as much, wouldn’t have to be as strict. — The Salt Lake Tribune, "Mask rules in Utah schools would be up to districts and health officials — not the governor — under ‘local control’ bill," 19 Feb. 2021 In some rural areas, however, the process has proved frustrating. — Time, "To Vaccinate U.S. Veterans, Health Care Workers Must Cross Mountains, Plains and Tundra," 18 Feb. 2021 So far, less than half of Maryland school districts have reopened campuses for some version of in-person education, particularly those in rural areas. — David M. Drucker, Washington Examiner, "Larry Hogan charges teachers unions with blocking school openings," 17 Feb. 2021 His actions have divided Canadian County, which includes parts of Oklahoma City and the rural areas to its west, with several thousand people signing a petition demanding his removal and even more endorsing a counterclaim supporting him. — New York Times, "Police Forces Have Long Tried to Weed Out Extremists in the Ranks. Then Came the Capitol Riot.," 16 Feb. 2021 For 95% of the population, vaccines must be available within 30 minutes travel time in urban areas and 60 minutes in rural areas. — Erin Allday, San Francisco Chronicle, "Blue Shield contract with California aims for 4 million vaccinations a week by end of April," 15 Feb. 2021 And those outages could take a while to restore, especially in rural areas. — Leigh Morgan, al, "Winter storm warning issued, includes more of Alabama; dangerous travel, power outages expected," 14 Feb. 2021 Fewer people will be vaccinated in areas with a scarcity of hospitals, which are often poorer, rural areas. — Olivia Goldhill, STAT, "Covid-19 vaccination rates follow the money in states with the biggest wealth gaps, analysis shows," 12 Feb. 2021

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

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First Known Use of rural

15th century, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for rural

Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin ruralis, from rur-, rus open land — more at room

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Time Traveler for rural

Time Traveler

The first known use of rural was in the 15th century

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Statistics for rural

Last Updated

25 Feb 2021

Cite this Entry

“Rural.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rural. Accessed 5 Mar. 2021.

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More Definitions for rural

rural

adjective
How to pronounce rural (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of rural

: of or relating to the country and the people who live there instead of the city

See the full definition for rural in the English Language Learners Dictionary

rural

adjective
ru·​ral | \ ˈru̇r-əl How to pronounce rural (audio) \

Kids Definition of rural

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

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More from Merriam-Webster on rural

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for rural

Nglish: Translation of rural for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of rural for Arabic Speakers

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