rural

[ roor-uhl ]
/ ˈrʊər əl /

adjective

of, relating to, or characteristic of the country, country life, or country people; rustic: rural tranquillity.
living in the country: the rural population.
of or relating to agriculture: rural economy.

noun

a person who lives in a rural area.

Origin of rural

1375–1425; late Middle English < Middle French < Latin rūrālis, equivalent to rūr- (stem of rūs) the country, rural land (akin to room) + -ālis -al1

SYNONYMS FOR rural

1 unsophisticated, rough. 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.

ANTONYMS FOR rural

1 urban.

OTHER WORDS FROM rural

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH rural

rural suburban urban (see synonym study at the current entry)

Words nearby rural

rupia, rupiah, rupicolous, rupture, ruptured duck, rural, rural dean, rural delivery, rural delivery service, rural district, rural free delivery

Words related to non-rural

downtown, civil, metropolitan, civic, central, municipal, popular, public, town, village, burghal, citified, oppidan

Example sentences from the Web for non-rural

  • The Country Girl has no reason to be ashamed of the part she has borne in the non-rural world.

    The American Country Girl |Martha Foote Crow

British Dictionary definitions for non-rural

rural
/ (ˈrʊərəl) /

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
Compare urban

Derived forms of rural

ruralism, noun ruralist, noun rurality, noun rurally, adverb

Word Origin for rural

C15: via Old French from Latin rūrālis, from rūs the country