1
as in rural
of, relating to, associated with, or typical of open areas with few buildings or people
painted a pastoral scene of a flower-filled meadow
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ministerial
of, relating to, or characteristic of the clergy
pastoral advice to a young couple preparing to marry
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in pastorale
Related Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pastoral
Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024
For those who make the trek, the week will be filled with events ranging from the pastoral to the glamourous to the overtly highbrow.
—Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 25 July 2024
Felipe Schrieberg, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025
This lush pastoral scene rescued from the barn’s attic in 1998 is View of Olinda, Brazil, With Ruins of the Jesuit Church, a 1666 painting by Dutch artist Frans Post.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for pastoral
Adjective
Science emerges as a version of the pastoral, with the physicist as swain.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024
For those who make the trek, the week will be filled with events ranging from the pastoral to the glamourous to the overtly highbrow.
—Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 25 July 2024
Noun
These stories suggest a simple, pastoral beginning—whisky as an agricultural byproduct rather than a refined commercial product.
—Felipe Schrieberg, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025
This lush pastoral scene rescued from the barn’s attic in 1998 is View of Olinda, Brazil, With Ruins of the Jesuit Church, a 1666 painting by Dutch artist Frans Post.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for pastoral
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pastoral
Adjective
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Instead of being in Milton, McArthur had traveled to a rural farm in Cantonment, Fla., owned by her family.—
Emily Blackwood,
People.com,
19 July 2025
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Health Finders Collective in Minnesota’s rural Rice and Steele counties south of Minneapolis serves low-income and underinsured patients, including large populations of Latino immigrants and Somali refugees.—
Tran Nguyen,
Chicago Tribune,
19 July 2025
Adjective
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Despite teaching secular subjects, the court deemed his role sufficiently religious to fall under the ministerial exception, barring his discrimination claim under the 1964 Civil Rights Act.—
A.J. Schumann,
Sun Sentinel,
6 July 2025
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Swaggart ultimately rejected the harsher penalty and was stripped of his ministerial credentials.—
Frank E. Lockwood,
Arkansas Online,
1 July 2025
Noun
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Iris and Isaac’s idyll is interrupted by the enemy of all great budding romances: the truth.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
23 July 2025
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The post, which has more 24 million views to date, is a mood board of the French country idyll: days spent swishing around a fairy-tale medieval château in floaty dresses with a never-ending glass of rosé.—
Chrissie McClatchie,
Travel + Leisure,
6 July 2025
Noun
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Vo’s ongoing examination of empire and identity unfolds here as both monument and elegy.—
Nel-Olivia Waga,
Forbes.com,
17 June 2025
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What if Durham’s vision for the sequel could be turned inside out, undergoing a transformation like The Greatest from retrospective to comeback, elegy to unfinished story.—
Melina Moe
May 19,
Literary Hub,
19 May 2025
Noun
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On Jewish holidays, the Hallel prayer is recited in Shul as a psalm of praise and thanksgiving and collective expression of gratitude for GDs miracles.—
Rafael James,
Sun Sentinel,
24 June 2025
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We're bound by the same beliefs, the same psalms, and the same sacred pursuit of liberty.—
Kaia Hubbard,
CBS News,
11 June 2025
Noun
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This is a lovely fundraiser to assist in the preservation of the cemetery, and the day is filled with master gardeners offering advice, madrigals singing, an archaeology talk, refreshments, kids’ activities and lots of lovely spring plants for sale.—
Janet Kusterer,
Baltimore Sun,
25 Mar. 2025
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The service and concert will take place at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 5, at the church, 815 S. Washington St. Castle Singers are vocalists who perform a variety of chamber repertoire, varying from Renaissance madrigals and motets to contemporary pop and vocal jazz.—
Aurora Beacon-News,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Until then, there’s no reason to think this Epstein epic is going to fade.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
18 July 2025
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Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey is based on Homer's ancient Greek epic of the same name.—
Allison DeGrushe Published,
EW.com,
17 July 2025
Noun
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This whiskey is an ode to American travel and industry.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
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The restaurant is chef Nicolas Min Jørgensen’s ode to regional flavors achieved by expert sourcing and a palpable love for the area.—
Liz Provencher,
Travel + Leisure,
12 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pastoral.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pastoral. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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