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

Courtesy of Meta Meta's massive Hyperion data center project in rural Louisiana is getting much bigger and costlier, with a big assist from the state's government. — Jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 13 July 2026

The growth has been charged by the Chinese state, which has subsidized farms to encourage economic development in rural areas. — Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 13 July 2026

The rupture dumped nearly 13,000 barrels of heavy crude oil into a creek running through a rural pasture in Washington County, Kansas, about 150 miles (241 kilometers) northwest of Kansas City. — John Hanna, Chicago Tribune, 12 July 2026

The 2022 rupture dumped nearly 13,000 barrels of heavy crude oil into a creek running through a rural pasture in Washington County, Kansas, about 150 miles northwest of Kansas City. — CBS News, 12 July 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