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adj. 1. Of, relating to, or characteristic of the country. 2. Of or relating to people who live in the country: rural households. 3. Of or relating to farming; agricultural. [Middle English, from Old French, from Latin rūrālis, from rūs, rūr-, country; see reuə- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] rural·ly adv. Synonyms: rural, bucolic, rustic, pastoral These adjectives all mean of or typical of the country as distinguished from the city. Rural applies to sparsely settled or agricultural country: "I do love quiet, rural England" (George Meredith). Bucolic is often used pejoratively or facetiously of country people or their manners: "The keenest of bucolic minds felt a whispering awe at the sight of the gentry" (George Eliot). Rustic frequently suggests a lack of sophistication or elegance, but it may also connote artless and pleasing simplicity: "some rustic phrases which I had learned at the farmer's house" (Jonathan Swift). The hiker slept in a charming, rustic cottage. Pastoral, which evokes the image of shepherds, sheep, and verdant countryside, suggests serenity: The train passed through pastoral landscapes. |
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