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 narrative tracks a woman from an indigenous community in rural India whose job involves educating machine learning systems. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 9 Jan. 2026

And, over a similar 10-year period, at least 100 hospitals closed in rural communities, according to a study by the Boston University School of Public Health. —Andre Mouchard, Oc Register, 9 Jan. 2026

While a few animals such as woodchucks and bats are true hibernators, many others remain active in both rural and urban areas throughout the winter. —Susan Koch, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2026

Depending on gender, 60-year-old rural residents can expect to live 6 months to 2 years less than city-dwellers, one 2025 study found. —Tristan Bove, Fortune, 8 Jan. 2026

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