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 In other states, the pushback has been passionate, with concerns that the elderly and rural populations will be stranded, or that critical analog systems will be less resilient in an emergency. Timor Brik, Orlando Sentinel, 27 June 2024 In a rural Mississippi town subsisting on its antebellum past, a reckoning unfolds. Addie Morfoot, Variety, 27 June 2024 An op-ed in the official newspaper of the Communist Party praised the series shortly after its debut for educating younger generations about agriculture and encouraging rural revitalization. Stephanie Yang, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2024 The state still struggles to provide to many rural residents not only reproductive care, including surgical abortions, but also accessible and culturally sensitive information about telehealth options to help manage medication abortions. Emma Specter, Vogue, 25 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for rural 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rural.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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 4 Jul. 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

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