rural

rural — adjective

1. relating to areas outside towns and cities, where there are farms, fields, woods

1.adjectiveA2
Definition

relating to areas outside towns and cities, where there are farms, fields, woods, and small villages rather than large buildings and busy streets

Example

Lucas grew up in a rural area where the nearest shop was ten kilometres away.

collocation: rural area

Imani prefers the peace and quiet of rural life over the noise of the city.

collocation: rural life

Common collocations
  • rural area
  • rural community
  • rural life
  • rural road
  • rural population
  • rural development
Synonyms
  • countryside

    similar in meaning but countryside is a noun (the green land itself), not an adjective: we say rural scenery, not countryside scenery

  • rustic

    more specific — describes objects, buildings, or styles that feel simple and traditional, often with a positive or romantic tone (a rustic wooden cabin)

  • agricultural

    narrower focus on farming and crop production rather than countryside life in general (agricultural land)

Antonyms
  • urban

    the direct opposite — relating to towns and cities

  • city

    used as a noun modifier: city life contrasts with rural life

Grammar Patterns

rural + noun

be + rural

Usage Note

Commonly used before nouns such as area, community, life, and road; the direct opposite is urban.

Common Mistakes

We went hiking in a rural forest.
We went hiking in a forest.
Rural describes land used for farming and villages, not wild or untouched nature.
Tokyo is a very rural city.
Tokyo is a very large city.
Rural means countryside, not crowded or busy. The opposite of rural is urban.

Word family

  • rurally
    adverbB2
  • rurality
    nounC1
  • non-rural
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Rural is the broadest term for anything related to the countryside — villages, farmland, and the lifestyle of people who live there. Countryside is a noun (the green land itself), not an adjective, so it cannot go before a noun: you say rural scenery but not countryside scenery. Rustic is more specific — it describes objects, buildings, or styles that feel simple and traditional ('a rustic wooden table'), and often carries a positive or romantic tone. Agricultural is narrower still, focusing on farming and food production ('agricultural policy'). Choose rural for general description of non-urban places; rustic for charmingly simple things; agricultural for farming matters.

countrysiderusticagricultural ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • rural area
  • rural community
  • rural life
  • rural population
  • rural economy
  • rural development

Adverbs

  • predominantly rural
  • largely rural
  • mostly rural

Prepositions

  • in rural areas
  • from rural communities

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Rural comes from Latin rūrālis, meaning 'of the countryside', which was formed from rūs ('open land, countryside'). It passed into English through Old French rural in the 1400s. The word has kept essentially the same meaning for over 600 years.