as in pastoral
of, relating to, associated with, or typical of open areas with few buildings or people grew up in a rural community where more than half the people were farmers a painter noted for his rural landscapes

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of rural Fog is rare in this rural part of central Thailand, bordering Khao Yai National Park. Nazanin Lankarani, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2025 These stars relocated to live a quieter life in a rural setting Comments For some stars, the bright lights of Hollywood beckon. Andrea Wurzburger, People.com, 11 Apr. 2025 Dickson Lee/South China Morning Post via Getty Images Gu Chujun was born in a rural area of eastern China 66 years ago and rose to become, according to Forbes magazine, one of China's richest entrepreneurs around the turn of the century. Anthony Kuhn, NPR, 11 Apr. 2025 The group created a canvassing operation of more than 500 employees who relentlessly knocked on doors in rural areas of the state and left-leaning Madison and Milwaukee. Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 2 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for rural
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rural
Adjective
  • Nowhere is the dream of pastoral harmony regained through scientific knowledge more beautifully realized than in Boucher’s nocturne of a cherub, telescope in hand, contemplating the moon.
    Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2025
  • The album version shifts from what could at first be mistaken for a pastoral, pleasant crooner about country life into a four-alarm fire, crackling with impatient riffs by the first refrain, when horns pile insistently on top of each other only to strip back, again, to an orchestral piano hymn.
    Shana Naomi Krochmal, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Fellow country singer Luke Bryan is also returning as a judge, making Lionel Richie the only non-country artist in a prominent role on the show.
    Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 4 Feb. 2025
  • To some, the look echoed what has been a big night for country music—especially for non-country musicians.
    Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 5 Feb. 2024
Adjective
  • Each is rustic and snug, offering a private deck overlooking the South Atlantic, with woolen blankets to cozy up with.
    Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 16 Apr. 2025
  • And, of course, a rustic backdrop featuring melting clocks, a lot like Salvador Dalí’s The Persistence of Memory, bridges the familiar with the fantastical.
    Adelle Platon, VIBE.com, 15 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • In an effort to pay respect to its bucolic surroundings, the building operates on renewable energy with a geothermal system and over 4,100 solar panels.
    Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 17 Apr. 2025
  • Five years on, Ellie has settled in a seemingly bucolic commune in Jackson, Wyoming, although a world-shattering lie about her past is about to catch up with her.
    Zing Tsjeng, Vogue, 11 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Rural.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rural. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

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