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Synonyms

countryside

American  
[kuhn-tree-sahyd] / ˈkʌn triˌsaɪd /

noun

  1. a particular section of a country, especially a rural section.

  2. its inhabitants.

countryside British  
/ ˈkʌntrɪˌsaɪd /

noun

  1. a rural area or its population

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of countryside

First recorded in 1615–25; country + side 1

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.

And analysts say the April 12 election will be decided in the countryside.

From Barron's • Mar. 29, 2026

Paluso-Serrano, 30, dreamed of living in the Japanese countryside.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

There are century-old historic gems in the countryside or simple homes in the suburbs.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

"We were about a mile away from quite deep countryside, so I used to just go out on my own, just being away from the normal stuff - school, family life."

From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026

The countryside sparkled as the summer sun hit the morning dew.

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan

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.