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
Relevance
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
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
Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024
For those who make the trek, the week will be filled with events ranging from the pastoral to the glamourous to the overtly highbrow.
—Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 25 July 2024
Cori Sears, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 July 2025
The brief is to oversee recruitment, retention, coaching, medical, logistics, education, pastoral and more.
—Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for pastoral
Adjective
Science emerges as a version of the pastoral, with the physicist as swain.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024
For those who make the trek, the week will be filled with events ranging from the pastoral to the glamourous to the overtly highbrow.
—Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 25 July 2024
Noun
Farm girl summer is an all-encompassing lifestyle trend that is quintessentially cozy, pastoral, and inspired by nature.
—Cori Sears, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 July 2025
The brief is to oversee recruitment, retention, coaching, medical, logistics, education, pastoral and more.
—Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for pastoral
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pastoral
Adjective
-
Just days later, the Florida Department of Commerce informed Orange County that its plan — designed to guide responsible growth, protect rural lands, and ensure infrastructure keeps pace with development — may not comply with the new law.—
Haley Busch,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 Aug. 2025
-
But her father wants to take a holiday to his rural childhood home, which is close to the mountain.—
Marta Balaga,
Variety,
12 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, speaks at the opening ceremony of the China-CELAC Forum ministerial meeting at the Great Hall of People in Beijing on May 13 and U.S. President Donald Trump at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, on August 15.—
James Bickerton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Aug. 2025
-
According to the plaintiffs, the city should have processed the project application on a discretionary basis but instead has handled them all on a ministerial basis, based on set standards rather than individual judgments.—
Jemma Stephenson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The island as idyll pops up in The Summer Book by Tove Jansson, L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables, Virginia Woolf’s To The Lighthouse, and on Peter Pan’s Neverland.—
Emma Sloley
August 14,
Literary Hub,
14 Aug. 2025
-
The song begins quite innocently as a pastoral idyll.—
Angelica Frey,
JSTOR Daily,
27 July 2025
Noun
-
Much of the chapter is like an elegy to what would be lost.—
Shaun McKinnon,
AZCentral.com,
5 Aug. 2025
-
Vo’s ongoing examination of empire and identity unfolds here as both monument and elegy.—
Nel-Olivia Waga,
Forbes.com,
17 June 2025
Noun
-
Kretzmer-Seed felt strongly about the inclusion of psalms from the Hallel service as well as a Spanish-Portuguese prayer for those in captivity, which was originally written for victims of the Spanish Inquisition.—
Marla Brown Fogelman,
Sun Sentinel,
12 Aug. 2025
-
On Jewish holidays, the Hallel prayer is recited in Shul as a psalm of praise and thanksgiving and collective expression of gratitude for GDs miracles.—
Rafael James,
Sun Sentinel,
24 June 2025
Noun
-
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
-
The service and concert will take place at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 5, at the church, 815 S. Washington St. Castle Singers are vocalists who perform a variety of chamber repertoire, varying from Renaissance madrigals and motets to contemporary pop and vocal jazz.—
Aurora Beacon-News,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Bill Gunn's vampire thriller Ganja & Hess and Park Chan-wook's revenge epic Oldboy both transformed under Lee's nimble hands, and now he's reinterpreted an enduring staple of global cinema: Akira Kurosawa's High and Low.—
EW Staff Published,
EW.com,
15 Aug. 2025
-
Co-directed by Cannes award-winning filmmaker Guan Hu (Black Dog, The Eight Hundred), who is also renowned for his large-scale war epics, Dongji Rescue is slated for release in the UK and Ireland on August 22, 2025, with other European territories to follow from August 29.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
28 July 2025
Noun
-
From ones that incorporate fans to odes to classic binge-worthy TV, with the help of social media, everyone’s creative wheels are turning — and people are learning one new step after another, feet shuffling, turning, stepping with ease.—
Victoria Uwumarogie,
Essence,
4 Aug. 2025
-
Parfums de Marly is an ode to uniqueness, a celebration of individuality, and an invitation to embrace the ultimate luxury: the freedom to be yourself!—
Shivani Vora,
Forbes.com,
31 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pastoral.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pastoral. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share