Adjacent Words

Rural definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

RU'RAL, a. [L. ruralis, from rus, the country.]
Pertaining to the country, as distinguished from a city or town; suiting the country, or resembling it; as rural scenes; a rural prospect; a rural situation; rural music.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: living in or characteristic of farming or country life; "rural people"; "large rural households"; "unpaved rural roads"; "an economy that is basically rural" [ant: urban]
2: of or relating to the countryside as opposed to the city; "rural electrification"; "rural free delivery"

Merriam Webster's

adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin ruralis, from rur-, rus open land — more at room Date: 15th century of or relating to the country, country people or life, or agriculture • rurality noun • rurally adverb

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. in, of, or suggesting the country (opp. URBAN); pastoral or agricultural (in rural seclusion; a rural constituency). Phrases and idioms: rural dean see DEAN(1). rural district Brit. hist. a group of country parishes governed by an elected council. Derivatives: ruralism n. ruralist n. rurality n. ruralize v. (also -ise). ruralization n. rurally adv. Etymology: ME f. OF rural or LL ruralis f. rus ruris the country

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Rural Ru"ral, a. [F., fr. L. ruralis, fr. rus, ruris, the country. Cf. Room space, Rustic.] 1. Of or pertaining to the country, as distinguished from a city or town; living in the country; suitable for, or resembling, the country; rustic; as, rural scenes; a rural prospect. Here is a rural fellow; . . . He brings you figs. --Shak. 2. Of or pertaining to agriculture; as, rural economy. Rural dean. (Eccl.) See under Dean. Rural deanery (Eccl.), the state, office, or residence, of a rural dean. Syn: Rustic. Usage: Rural, Rustic. Rural refers to the country itself; as, rural scenes, prospects, delights, etc. Rustic refers to the character, condition, taste, etc., of the original inhabitants of the country, who were generally uncultivated and rude; as, rustic manners; a rustic dress; a rustic bridge; rustic architecture, etc. We turn To where the silver Thames first rural grows. --Thomson. Lay bashfulness, that rustic virtue, by; To manly confidence thy throughts apply. --Dryden.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. Rural places are far away from large towns or cities. These plants have a tendency to grow in the more rural areas. ? urban ADJ: usu ADJ n 2. Rural means having features which are typical of areas that are far away from large towns or cities. ...the old rural way of life... ADJ: ADJ n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. Rustic, pastoral, country.

Moby Thesaurus

Arcadian, agrarian, agrestic, agricultural, agronomic, arable, arcadian, bucolic, campestral, countrified, country, exurban, farm, farming, genuine, geoponic, georgic, homespun, idyllic, inartificial, lowland, native, natural, naturelike, outland, pastoral, provincial, rustic, simple, sylvan, unadorned, unaffected, unartificial, unassuming, undesigning, undisguising, undissembling, undissimulating, unembellished, unfeigning, unpretending, unpretentious, unsophisticated, unspoiled, unvarnished, upland