rural

adjective

ru·​ral ˈru̇r(-ə)l How to pronounce rural (audio)
ˈrər(-ə)l
: of or relating to the country, country people or life, or agriculture
rurality noun
rurally adverb

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
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.
Peanut became a political talking point during the presidential election when some commentators said seizing it from Longo's house in rural Pine City was an example of government overreach. Patrick Smith, NBC News, 13 Nov. 2024 Their designers had initially paid little attention to transit, sidewalks, or tree cover — features that are often afterthoughts for rural roads, but crucial in more densely populated areas. David Zipper, Vox, 13 Nov. 2024 While telehealth is always an option for kids to connect with therapists, Bishop said Second Wind Fund is making an effort to conduct better outreach to rural parts of the state. Elizabeth Hernandez, The Denver Post, 10 Nov. 2024 Some smaller, rural counties with few voters were nearly finished counting votes two days after the election, while bigger, more urban counties had a ways to go. Harriet Blair Rowan, The Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for rural 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of rural was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near rural

Cite this Entry

“Rural.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rural. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

rural

adjective
ru·​ral ˈru̇r-əl How to pronounce rural (audio)
: of or relating to the country, country people or life, or agriculture

More from Merriam-Webster on rural

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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