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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
The devastating waiting that defines infertility is depicted amid scenes of pastoral beauty, and distance. — Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2026 Global events have brought together hundreds of representatives from communities whose lives and livelihoods are built on pastoral or nomadic herding traditions. — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 2 Sep. 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
  • Experts say these numbers are likely an underestimate, particularly in rural areas that have struggled to obtain resources and vaccines.
    — Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 18 Sep. 2026
  • In recent decades, meanwhile, some rural communities have shifted away from farming or have emptied out, leaving behind untended lands where vegetation runs rampant.
    — Ingfei Chen, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of rural
Adjective
  • While Brazil and Saudi Arabia engaged via ministerial levels through Foreign Ministers Mauro Vieira and Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, the scope of the forum expanded dramatically during the partner and outreach dialogues.
    — Mayu Saini, Footwear News, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Wong on Tuesday announced in the parliament that ministerial salaries will be adjusted upwards, having remained unchanged for 15 years.
    — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 9 Sep. 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
  • Supposedly posing a threat to their idyll on the outskirts are various marauding splinter groups running amok through the barren wasteland of the American Mountain West.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have decided to move from from their Montecito idyll to the United Kingdom in mere weeks, news that generated countless headlines and shook royal society to its core.
    — Chandler Tregaskes, Vanity Fair, 22 Aug. 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
  • Psalm 23 is numbered Psalm 22 in the Greek Septuagint and Latin Vulgate because of differences in how the psalms are divided and numbered.
    — Frannie Comstock, Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 Aug. 2026
  • But presiding over his daughter’s outdoor wedding helped, fulfilling another psalm’s promise.
    — Peter Smith, Los Angeles Times, 29 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
  • Early reviews out of the Toronto International Film Festival have not been especially kind to Zack Snyder’s The Last Photograph, a two-hour revenge epic framed like The Searchers but set in South America.
    — Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Tolstoy’s epic about Russia during the Napoleonic Wars is one of the greatest studies of human psyche and society ever written.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 15 Sep. 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 22 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on pastoral

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pastoral

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