Of or pertaining to the country, as distinguished from a city or town; belonging to or characteristic of the country.Pertaining to agriculture or farming: as, rural economy.Living in the country; rustic.Synonyms Rural, Rustic, Pastoral, Bucolic. Rural is always used in a good sense, and is applied chiefly to things: as, rural pleasures; rural scenery. Rustic is used in a good sense, but also has a sense implying a lack of the refinements of the town or city: as, rustic gallantry. Pastoral means belonging to a shepherd or his kind of life; bucolic, belonging to the care of cattle or to that kind of life. Pastoral is always used in a good sense; bucolic is now often used with a shade of contempt.[Cowper applies rural to persons as well as things.]n. A countryman; a rustic.