Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Popular Searches
Synonyms
Nearby Words

ruralism

 - 3 dictionary results

ru⋅ral

  [roor-uhl]
Use ruralism in a Sentence
–adjective
1. of, pertaining to, or characteristic of the country, country life, or country people; rustic: rural tranquillity.
2. living in the country: the rural population.
3. of or pertaining to agriculture: rural economy.
–noun
4. a person who lives in a rural area.
Origin:
1375–1425; late ME < MF < L rūrālis, equiv. to rūr- (s. of rūs) the country, rural land (akin to room ) + -ālis -al 1

Related forms:
ru⋅ral⋅ism, noun
ru⋅ral⋅ist, ru⋅ral⋅ite, noun
ru⋅ral⋅ly, adverb
ru⋅ral⋅ness, noun

Synonyms:
1. unsophisticated, rough. Rural and rustic are terms that refer to the country. Rural is the official term: rural education. It may be used subjectively, and usually in a favorable sense: the charm of rural life. Rustic, however, may have either favorable or unfavorable connotations. In a derogatory sense, it means provincial, boorish, or crude; in a favorable sense, it may suggest ruggedness or a homelike rural charm: rustic simplicity.

Antonyms:
1. urban.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To ruralism
ru·ral·ism   (rŏŏr'ə-lĭz'əm)   
n.  Rurality.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

rural 
1412, from O.Fr. rural (14c.), from L. ruralis "of the countryside," from rus (gen. ruris) "open land, country," from PIE *rur- "open space" (cf. O.C.S. ravinu "level," O.Ir. roi, roe "plain field," O.E. rum "space;" see room).
"In early examples, there is usually little or no difference between the meanings of rural and rustic, but in later use the tendency is to employ rural when the idea of locality (country scenes, etc.) is prominent, and rustic when there is a suggestion of the more primitive qualities or manners naturally attaching to country life." [OED]
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Search another word or see ruralism on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
Ask AnswersEviteExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyMy Way