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.
A library in rural Alaska needed help providing free Wi-Fi and getting kids to read.
From Salon
She still volunteers with the charity RISE, which she founded straight out of school and which connects young people in rural India with young people in London, a cause she has remained passionate about.
From BBC
Inspired by a teacher, he started building a small collection of books so that other students from rural areas could also read.
From BBC
Pressure to cut costs puts local TV news gathering in small and rural markets on the chopping block.
This has led most settlements in rural areas to set up vigilante groups – small bands of armed men who protect their villages.
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.
