rural

1 of 2

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

rurality

2 of 2

noun

ru·​ral·​i·​ty ru̇ˈralətē 

plural -es

: ruralism : a rural place

Synonyms of rural

Adjective

• pastoral
• country
• rustic
• bucolic

Examples of rural in a Sentence

Adjective

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

Adjective

SpaceX already operates its Starbase spaceport in rural Texas, as well as launchpads at government spaceports on the coasts of California and Florida. — Elizabeth Howell, Scientific American, 7 Sep. 2026

Farmers fight back The land rush is visible in its starkest relief in rural America, where wide-open farmland with grid access can be worth a lot more for its computational, rather than agricultural, potential. — Tobias Burns, CNBC, 6 Sep. 2026

As of April, more than 1,500 new data centers were in development across the United States, according to a Pew Research Center analysis, largely in rural areas. — Justine McDaniel, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026

Florida has just 52 certified headache specialists, so for a worker in rural Florida, a diagnosis can mean a lost day’s wages and a long drive. — Brian T. Bailey, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Noun

Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin ruralis, from rur-, rus open land

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1611, 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