ru·ral (ro?or??l)adj.1. Of, relating to, or characteristic of the country.2. Of or relating to people who live in the country: rural households.3. Of or relating to farming; agricultural.[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin r?r?lis, from r?s, r?r-, country; see reu?- in Indo-European roots.]ru?ral·ly adv.Synonyms: rural, bucolic, rustic, pastoral These adjectives all mean of or typical of the country as distinguished from the city. Rural applies to sparsely settled or agricultural country: “I do love quiet, rural England” (George Meredith). Bucolic is often used pejoratively or facetiously of country people or their manners: “The keenest of bucolic minds felt a whispering awe at the sight of the gentry” (George Eliot). Rustic frequently suggests a lack of sophistication or elegance, but it may also connote artless and pleasing simplicity: “some rustic phrases which I had learned at the farmer’s house” (Jonathan Swift). The hiker slept in a charming, rustic cottage. Pastoral, which evokes the image of shepherds, sheep, and verdant countryside, suggests serenity: The train passed through pastoral landscapes.American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.rural (?r??r?l) adj1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the country or country life2. living in or accustomed to the country3. (Agriculture) of, relating to, or associated with farming[C15: via Old French from Latin r?r?lis, from r?s the country] ?ruralism n ?ruralist n ru?rality n ?rurally advCollins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014ru?ral (?r??r ?l) adj. 1. characteristic of the country, country life, or country people; rustic. 2. living in the country. 3. of or pertaining to agriculture. [1375?1425;