rural
rural (rrʹəl) adjective
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 rūrālis, from rūs, rūr-, country.]
ruʹrally adverb
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 cottage has a rustic grace and beauty. Pastoral, which evokes the image of shepherds, sheep, and verdant countryside, suggests the charm and serenity of the country: We watched from the train window as the pastoral landscapes of Burgundy unfolded.