rural

The word “rural” means relating to the countryside, farmland, or village life, as opposed to cities. In plain terms, describes the countryside or farming life, in contrast to urban city life.

“Rural” is pronounced ROOR-ruhl (/ˈɹʊɹəl/ in IPA).

Here is “rural” used in a sentence: “They moved from the city to a rural area to raise their kids.”

“Rural” is an adjective.

The word “rural” comes from Latin. From Old French rural, from Latin rūrālis, from rūs ("countryside").

“Rural” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

"Rural" is a neutral, factual word meaning located in the countryside rather than a city. "Rustic" is more descriptive and stylistic, suggesting a plain, charming, old-fashioned country character — rustic furniture or a rustic cottage. An area is rural because of where it is; something is rustic because of how it looks or feels.

They are direct opposites. "Rural" describes the countryside — farmland, villages, open space, and small populations. "Urban" describes towns and cities, with dense housing, busy streets, and large populations. Places in between, on the edge of cities, are often called suburban. Rural means country; urban means city.

A farming village surrounded by fields, a remote hamlet in the hills, or open countryside dotted with barns and livestock are all rural. Such areas have few people, plenty of open land, and depend on agriculture or nature rather than industry and offices. They stand in contrast to busy towns and cities.

Rural areas often centre on work tied to the land: farming, forestry, fishing, and raising livestock, along with related trades. Tourism, crafts, and small local businesses are common too. Because populations are spread out, many services rely on people travelling greater distances than they would in a city.