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
- nonrural adjective
- nonrurally adverb
- quasi-rural adjective
- quasi-rurally adverb
- ruralism noun
- ruralist noun
- ruralite noun
- rurality noun
- rurally adverb
- ruralness noun
- semirural adjective
- semiruralism noun
- semirurally adverb
- unrural adjective
- unrurally adverb
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
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.
The family now lives at Velasquez’s father’s house in the town of San José, deep in rural Honduras.
From Salon
Colder nights will bring a higher risk of sharper widespread frost, particularly in rural areas, with icy patches possible on untreated surfaces.
From BBC
The debate over data centers is heating up in the Imperial Valley, a rural desert region in southeastern California where a proposed center faces fierce opposition from residents.
From Los Angeles Times
Faced with the prospect of a lengthy detention, Alberto said, he agreed to a voluntary departure from the U.S. and arrived at his parents’ home in a rural area of Chiapas in February.
"Their temporary closure or mothball can feel like it diminishes a sense of belonging and local pride to a small rural community which has historically had a local school," it added.
From BBC
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.
