rural

adjective

ru·​ral ˈru̇r(-ə)l 

ˈrər(-ə)l

: of or relating to the country, country people or life, or agriculture

rurality

ru̇-ˈra-lə-tē 

noun

rurally

ˈru̇r-ə-lē 

ˈrər-

adverb

Synonyms

• bucolic
• country
• pastoral
• rustic
• rustical

Examples of rural in a Sentence

She lives in a rural area.

grew up in a rural community where more than half the people were farmers

Recent Examples on the Web

In 2024, even though Democratic nominee Kamala Harris easily won the small, rural state over President Donald Trump, voters ousted more than two dozen Democratic legislators. —David Mark, The Washington Examiner, 13 June 2025

Families also relied on unemployment and disability: nearly 40 percent of rural men Sherman interviewed between twenty-one and sixty-four were on disability, nearly twice the rate in the state. —Joan C. Williams june 13, Literary Hub, 13 June 2025

Nearly half of those stations serve rural areas of the country. —Arkansas Online, 13 June 2025

Matters aren’t helped any that minutes earlier, Paula had noticed something swinging from a tree in this stretch of rural blacktop. —Lisa Kennedy, Variety, 13 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin ruralis, from rur-, rus open land — more at room

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing rural

• rural dean
• rural free delivery
• rural route

Rhymes for rural

• crural
• dural
• jural
• mural
• neural
• pleural
• plural
• extramural
• intramural
• intrapleural
• figural
• flexural

Kids Definition

rural

adjective

ru·​ral ˈru̇r-əl 

: of or relating to the country, country people or life, or agriculture