rural Hear it!

rural definition

ru·ral (ro̵or′əl)

adjective

  1. of or characteristic of the country, country life, or country people; rustic
  2. living in the country
  3. having to do with farming; agricultural

Etymology: ME < MFr < LL ruralis < L rus (gen. ruris), the country < IE *rewos, space < base *rewe-, to open, room

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:

business rural definition - business

rural Synonyms

rural

modif.

rustic, country, farm, agricultural, pastoral, bucolic, backwoods, provincial, Arcadian, sylvan, agrarian, georgic, agronomic, ranch, exurban.

Antonyms urban*, industrial*, commercial.

rural is the comprehensive, nonspecific word referring to life on the farm or in the country as distinguished from life in the city rural schools; rustic stresses the contrast between the supposed crudeness and unsophistication of the country and the supposed polish and refinement of the city rustic humor; pastoral, often used in literary contexts, suggests a highly idealized primitive simplicity of rural life, originally among shepherds; in contrast, bucolic, also a literary term, suggests a down-to-earth rustic simplicity or artlessness her bucolic suitor


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

rural Usage Examples

Modifies a noun

  • area: We serve a large rural area in the heart of North Norfolk.

Used with adjective complement

  • become: The scene becomes almost rural especially beside Wolverhampton Horse Track.

Modifying Another Word

  • predominantly: Features of agriculture in Cambodia Cambodia has a predominantly rural population, with some 85 per cent of people living in rural areas.

Preposition: in

  • nature: As the area is predominantly rural in nature the improvements will also ease the problems caused by seasonal agricultural produce movements.

Preposition: with

  • town: The north of the county is very rural with few major towns except Barnstaple, Great Torrington, Bideford and Ilfracombe.

Preposition: than

  • area: For some indicators, levels of disadvantage are significantly less in rural than urban areas.
rural usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

rural quotes

  And spectral dance, before the dawn, A hundred Vicars down the lawn; Curates, long dust, will come and go On lissom, clerical, printless toe; And oft between the boughs is seen The sly shade of a Rural Dean.

-Brooke, Rupert Chawner

I see the rural virtues leave the land.

-Goldsmith, Oliver

Ten or twelve, only ten or twelve Strokes of havoc unselve The sweet especial scene Rural scene, a rural scene Sweet especial rural scene.

-Hopkins, SirAnthony

rural quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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MLA Style

"rural." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 4 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/rural>

APA Style

rural. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 4th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/rural

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