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 of rural

• pastoral
• country
• rustic
• bucolic

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

Innlandet County includes a rural area where two private citizens located a smaller collection of 19 silver coins on April 10, triggering the wider archaeological probe that uncovered thousands more. —Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026

But no injuries in the city were reported, while three minor injuries were reporters in the rural parts of Franklin County. —Tammy Ljungblad, Kansas City Star, 30 Apr. 2026

Biologists think this new tracking technique will help protect Florida’s native wildlife, rural lands, citizens and their pets. —Ticked Off, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Apr. 2026

The royal couple marked America's 250th birthday with stops at the 9/11 Memorial in New York City and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery, before traveling to rural Virginia. —Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2026

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