rural

adjective

ru·​ral ˈru̇r(-ə)l How to pronounce rural (audio)
ˈrər(-ə)l
: of or relating to the country, country people or life, or agriculture
rurality noun
rurally adverb

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 But even in rural areas, spring blooms are trending earlier, Primack said. Harry Stevens, Washington Post, 22 Mar. 2024 Matt Kinghorn, senior demographer at the Indiana Business Research Center, said the reduction in large-city dwellers is not unique to Indiana, as Chicago, Louisville and St. Louis have also seen residents push out into suburbs and even beyond into rural areas. Rory Appleton, The Indianapolis Star, 22 Mar. 2024 In gauging Brown, one should factor in his roots in segregated rural Texas. George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024 Steve Horton, 72, owns a local paper in the rural northwestern corner. Ruth Thornton and Victor Woodell, Detroit Free Press, 21 Mar. 2024 Much of it is rural with some industrial towns, such as Portsmouth along the Ohio River. Scott Wartman, The Enquirer, 20 Mar. 2024 As rural hospitals continue to struggle financially, a new type of hospital is slowly taking root, especially in the Southeast. Devna Bose, Fortune, 16 Mar. 2024 Turkeys in cities face fewer foes than their brethren in rural areas. Anne Readel, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Mar. 2024 Some residents in nearby unincorporated communities and more rural neighborhoods are pushing county leaders to keep them in the loop. Sarah Ritter, Kansas City Star, 7 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rural.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

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

Dictionary Entries Near rural

Cite this Entry

“Rural.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rural. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

rural

adjective
ru·​ral ˈru̇r-əl How to pronounce rural (audio)
: of or relating to the country, country people or life, or agriculture

More from Merriam-Webster on rural

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