rural

adjective

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

Synonyms of rural

Relevance
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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.
The candidates are pitching different priorities, from fisheries and missing Indigenous people to energy costs and oil drilling, as rural communities face voting-access barriers. — Becky Bohrer, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026 Candidates also sought to address public anxiety over rising energy prices and inflation, as many families, particularly in rural areas, struggle to make ends meet. — ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026 Rest of World received some critical acclaim and broke several stories that prompted global policy changes, including its reporting on Uber Eats in South Africa and on mapping in rural Borneo. — Max Tani, semafor.com, 25 Oct. 2026 Who is affected Big swaths of rural America are losing Medicare Advantage choices and so are some major metro areas. — Emily Pisacreta, NPR, 24 Oct. 2026 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

Phrases Containing rural

Rhymes for rural

See All Rhymes for rural

Browse Nearby Words

rupturewort
rural
rural dean
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Cite this Entry

“Rural.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rural. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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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
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