rural
Americanadjective
-
of, relating to, or characteristic of the country, country life, or country people; rustic.
agricultural fairs and festivals throughout the rural towns of Georgia.
- Synonyms:
- rough, unsophisticated
- Antonyms:
- urban
-
living in the country.
the rural population.
-
of or relating to agriculture.
rural economy.
noun
adjective
-
of, relating to, or characteristic of the country or country life
-
living in or accustomed to the country
-
of, relating to, or associated with farming
Related Words
Rural and rustic are terms that refer to the country. Rural is the official term: rural education. It may be used subjectively, and usually in a favorable sense: the charm of rural life. Rustic, however, may have either favorable or unfavorable connotations. In a derogatory sense, it means provincial, boorish, or crude; in a favorable sense, it may suggest ruggedness or a homelike rural charm: rustic simplicity.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of rural
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin rūrālis, equivalent to rūr- (stem of rūs ) “the country, rural land” (akin to room ) + -ālis -al 1
Explanation
Rural means "relating to or characteristic of the country or the people who live there." If you move to a rural area, you won't see a lot of skyscrapers or taxis — but you'll probably see a lot of trees. You may have known people who live on country roads––mail to their houses must be addressed to a rural route, abbreviated as RR. Rustic is a near synonym but emphasizes the supposed qualities of country people: being simple, awkward, and even rude and rough. The adjective rural descends from Middle English, from Old French, from Latin rūrālis, from rūs "the country."
Vocabulary lists containing rural
List 4
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The Industrial Revolution - Introductory
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The Secret Life of Bees
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Rural counties saw some of the biggest increase in rejected ballots because they came in too late, The Times found.
From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026
Rural hospitals don’t often have that technology, even though most cases occur in rural areas, he noted.
From MarketWatch • May 4, 2026
Research from the Campaign to Protect Rural England argues there is enough brownfield land to build 1.4 million homes in England, and more than half of these sites already have planning permission.
From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026
Rural regions did not show the same effect, and neither did cities just outside the path.
From Science Daily • Apr. 18, 2026
Rural Michigan looks like a landscape on ink-stained canvas.
From "X: A Novel" by Ilyasah Shabazz
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
