pastoral 1 of 2

adjective

ˈpa-st(ə-)rəl How to pronounce pastoral (audio)
Definition of pastoralnext
1
as in rural
of, relating to, associated with, or typical of open areas with few buildings or people painted a pastoral scene of a flower-filled meadow

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ministerial
of, relating to, or characteristic of the clergy pastoral advice to a young couple preparing to marry

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

pastoral

2 of 2

noun

as in pastorale

Related Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pastoral
Adjective
Their pastoral nomadic traditions, however, also shaped the organization and priorities of imperial government. — Ethan Teekah, Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Aug. 2026 Its agricultural economy is heavily pastoral, with a focus on livestock and hay rather than row crops, making the loss of pastureland a distinct economic and ecological concern compared to cropland loss in other areas. — Charlotte Observer, 10 Aug. 2026
Noun
Who would not raise a glass to the memory of so vexed a merrymaker, under whose spell the city is transformed into an exotic pastoral? — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025 The pastoral, yet bittersweet lament has turned into something of an emotionally restorative California wildfire reflection. — Marcus K. Dowling, Nashville Tennessean, 11 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pastoral
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pastoral
  1. rural
  2. ministerial
  3. pastorale
  4. idyll
  5. elegy
  6. psalm
  7. madrigal
  8. epic
Adjective
  • From rural communities to large cities, pushback against the initiatives of Silicon Valley is forming a unique coalition of liberals and conservatives.
    — Christopher Cann, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The Bordeaux region has slowed rural building too, but fire danger from the pines remains extremely high, said Claire Aragau, the professor at the Paris School of Urban Planning who led the study.
    — Michael Finnegan, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of rural
Adjective
  • France and Saudi Arabia have formed a task force on energy and logistics connections between the Middle East and Europe that is scheduled to meet at the ministerial level Monday.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Aug. 2026
  • In 2002, the FA was forced to change the name of the competition by the Charity Commission — the independent, non-ministerial government department that registers and regulates charities in England and Wales.
    — Colin Millar, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of ministerial
Noun
  • Including 55 serious operas, 6 cantatas, 53 comic operas, 17 operettas, 6 sing-spiele, 4 ballets, 4 vaudevilles, 2 oratorios, one each of fares, pastorales, masques, ballads and buffas.
    — WILLIAM ROBIN, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2017
Definition of pastorale
Noun
  • Supposedly posing a threat to their idyll on the outskirts are various marauding splinter groups running amok through the barren wasteland of the American Mountain West.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have decided to move from from their Montecito idyll to the United Kingdom in mere weeks, news that generated countless headlines and shook royal society to its core.
    — Chandler Tregaskes, Vanity Fair, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of idyll
Noun
  • In some ways, Birthright is an elegy to the Jewish experience in America—a place where Israel has been centered as our refuge and rightful homeland for the last 76-odd years.
    — Hannah Seligson, Vanity Fair, 12 Aug. 2026
  • But that selflessness comes to feel like the point of this lingering, resonantly sad film — above all else, an elegy for lives unseen and unknown.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 23 July 2026
Definition of elegy
Noun
  • Psalm 23 is numbered Psalm 22 in the Greek Septuagint and Latin Vulgate because of differences in how the psalms are divided and numbered.
    — Frannie Comstock, Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 Aug. 2026
  • But presiding over his daughter’s outdoor wedding helped, fulfilling another psalm’s promise.
    — Peter Smith, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026
Definition of psalm
Noun
  • The concert will include Renaissance madrigals—one English and one French.
    — Myrna Petlicki, Chicago Tribune, 2 Mar. 2026
  • This is a lovely fundraiser to assist in the preservation of the cemetery, and the day is filled with master gardeners offering advice, madrigals singing, an archaeology talk, refreshments, kids’ activities and lots of lovely spring plants for sale.
    — Janet Kusterer, Baltimore Sun, 25 Mar. 2025
Definition of madrigal
Noun
  • The first five-plus hours of Julia Loktev’s documentary epic, about young journalists trying to do their jobs in an increasingly repressive Russia, was one of the great nonfiction achievements of recent years.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Nearly four years after the limited series starring Florence Pugh was first announced, Netflix unveiled the first trailer for the seven-episode epic during its upfront presentation on Wednesday, May 13.
    — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of epic

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pastoral
pastorale
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Cite this Entry

“Pastoral.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pastoral. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on pastoral

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pastoral

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