rural
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
relating to the countryside rather than the city.
relating to, characteristic of, or living in the country or agriculture as opposed to urban areas.
Simple“They decided to move to a rural area to enjoy the quiet life.”
In context“The government is investing in rural infrastructure to ensure that farming communities have reliable access to high-speed internet and modern healthcare.”
UsageUsually placed before the noun it describes.
Teacher's tipLearners often confuse 'rural' with 'rustic'. While 'rural' is a neutral geographical term, 'rustic' often implies a simple, rough, or charming style.
Usage rural areas · rural communities
“It was travelling from the town of Kariba in the north of the country to rural and fishing communities in the country’s northwest.”
“Odgers had a free-range rural childhood in Canada, played a lot of sport and has coached youth basketball.”
From Old French rural, from Latin rūrālis (“rural”), from rūs (“countryside”) + -ālis.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.