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

The redrawn seat will lose many rural areas and pick up less conservative areas including San Marcos, Vista and the Democratic stronghold of Palm Springs in Riverside County — changes that give Democrats a 4-point registration advantage. —Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Dec. 2025

Mortality associated with the disease was 42% higher in rural vs urban counties in recent years, according to a 2025 study published in JAMA. —Alyssa Goldberg, USA Today, 4 Dec. 2025

George Freas, a Glen Rose city council member, questioned why developers are building data centers in rural areas, and said water use is a particular concern. —Elizabeth Campbell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Dec. 2025

Five days later, their bodies were found in a rural area of Quay County, New Mexico according to the Carson County (Texas) Sheriff’s Office and the Quay County (New Mexico) Sheriff’s Office . —David Chiu, PEOPLE, 4 Dec. 2025

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
• extramural
• intramural
• intrapleural
• figural
• flexural

Kids Definition

rural

adjective

ru·​ral ˈru̇r-əl 

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