pastoral 1 of 2

adjective

ˈpa-st(ə-)rəl How to pronounce pastoral (audio)
Definition of pastoralnext
1
as in rural
of, relating to, associated with, or typical of open areas with few buildings or people painted a pastoral scene of a flower-filled meadow

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ministerial
of, relating to, or characteristic of the clergy pastoral advice to a young couple preparing to marry

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

pastoral

2 of 2

noun

as in pastorale

Related Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pastoral
Adjective
By driving Etna’s drifting itinerary with the quest to return home, Yoon invokes the pastoral nostalgia that has characterized the canine tradition’s man-dog battles against the brutal wilderness. — Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2026 Schultz’s wife Reinette, was wounded in the shooting, Gregory Glenn, pastoral administrator at The Madeleine Choir School in Salt Lake City, said in a Facebook post. — Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 4 Aug. 2026
Noun
Who would not raise a glass to the memory of so vexed a merrymaker, under whose spell the city is transformed into an exotic pastoral? — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025 The pastoral, yet bittersweet lament has turned into something of an emotionally restorative California wildfire reflection. — Marcus K. Dowling, Nashville Tennessean, 11 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pastoral
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pastoral
  1. rural
  2. ministerial
  3. pastorale
  4. idyll
  5. elegy
  6. psalm
  7. madrigal
  8. epic
Adjective
  • In recent years, the Army shifted more of its recruiting effort into large Democratic-leaning cities after traditional recruiting strongholds in the South, rural America and the suburbs could no longer produce enough qualified volunteers.
    — Steven Beynon, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Immediately after the legislation was signed, states began bracing for the substantial pullback of federal support, rural hospital closures, and implementation of burdensome paperwork requirements intended to drive down enrollment.
    — Diana DeGette, Denver Post, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of rural
Adjective
  • Fidan said, however, that the countries would consult on the degree and form of assistance provided following an attack, with operational details still to be determined by a new ministerial committee.
    — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The proposal also sets up ministerial and parliamentary committees to monitor the disarmament process.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of ministerial
Noun
  • Including 55 serious operas, 6 cantatas, 53 comic operas, 17 operettas, 6 sing-spiele, 4 ballets, 4 vaudevilles, 2 oratorios, one each of fares, pastorales, masques, ballads and buffas.
    — WILLIAM ROBIN, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2017
Definition of pastorale
Noun
  • The heckle briefly punctured the idyll at CicLAvia, the long-running open-streets bike that brings thousands of cyclists to different LA neighborhoods multiple times each year.
    — Maxwell Adler, Vanity Fair, 29 July 2026
  • The walls had a nominal utility as fences for the dairy herd that was milked in the great white cow barn, but this was only ever a Gilded Age fantasy of the rustic idyll.
    — Matt Seaton, The Atlantic, 19 July 2026
Definition of idyll
Noun
  • In some ways, Birthright is an elegy to the Jewish experience in America—a place where Israel has been centered as our refuge and rightful homeland for the last 76-odd years.
    — Hannah Seligson, Vanity Fair, 12 Aug. 2026
  • But that selflessness comes to feel like the point of this lingering, resonantly sad film — above all else, an elegy for lives unseen and unknown.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 23 July 2026
Definition of elegy
Noun
  • But presiding over his daughter’s outdoor wedding helped, fulfilling another psalm’s promise.
    — Peter Smith, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026
  • The word appears 71 times across 39 of the 150 psalms, especially in ones written by David.
    — Drew Goins, The Atlantic, 28 July 2026
Definition of psalm
Noun
  • The concert will include Renaissance madrigals—one English and one French.
    — Myrna Petlicki, Chicago Tribune, 2 Mar. 2026
  • This is a lovely fundraiser to assist in the preservation of the cemetery, and the day is filled with master gardeners offering advice, madrigals singing, an archaeology talk, refreshments, kids’ activities and lots of lovely spring plants for sale.
    — Janet Kusterer, Baltimore Sun, 25 Mar. 2025
Definition of madrigal
Noun
  • That holds true with his latest – a samurai epic that’s a sterling adaptation of the 2021 novel by Honobu Yonezawa.
    — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • After just three weeks of release, Christopher Nolan‘s epic generated $430 million domestically and $58 million internationally, crossing the $1 billion mark in total.
    — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of epic

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Cite this Entry

“Pastoral.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pastoral. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on pastoral

Nglish: Translation of pastoral for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pastoral

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