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

• bucolic
• country
• pastoral
• rustic
• rustical

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

From plush country inns in rural towns to destination restaurants to wineries working their way up to national recognition, there’s never been a better reason to get out of town. —Madeline Weinfield, Vogue, 21 July 2024

The director, Chung, grew up in rural Arkansas, where tornadoes are a fact of life. —Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2024

Jimmy Ray Rodgers took his girlfriend for a ride along route 47 in rural Missouri. —Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 20 July 2024

The county is in some ways a microcosm of the state’s political situation, divided between the heavily Democratic city of Racine, which accounts for nearly 40% of the population, and the smaller municipalities and rural areas that favor the GOP. —Dan Petrella, Chicago Tribune, 20 July 2024

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

Kids Definition

rural

adjective

ru·​ral ˈru̇r-əl 

: of or relating to the country, country people or life, or agriculture