pastoral
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pastoral
- /ˈpɑːstə.ɹəl/ UK
- /ˈpæs.tə.ɹəl/ UK
- /ˌpæsˈtɔːɹəl/ UK
- /ˈpæs.tə.ɹəl/ US
- /ˌpæsˈtɔːɹəl/ US
Rhymes with -ɔːɹəl
Where it comes from
From Middle French, Old French pastoral, from Latin pāstōrālis, from pāstor (“shepherd”), + adjective suffix -ālis.
adjective more pastoral · most pastoral
-
Of or pertaining to shepherds or herders of other livestock.
Like the Mesolithic age of 10,000-8000 B.C., the period 6000-4000 B.C. seems to be one of the fall of fortresses and the rise of pastoral nomadism.
Similar: shepherdish, shepherdly
- Relating to rural life and scenes, in particular of poetry. We were living a pastoral life.
-
Relating to the care of souls, to the pastor of a church or to any local religious leader charged with the service of individual parishioners, i.e. a priest or rabbi.
pastoral duties
Similar: cleric, clerical, black-collar, pastoral
noun pastorals
- A poem describing the life and manners of shepherds; a poem in which the speakers assume the character of shepherds; an idyll; a bucolic. Ethel was silent from surprise: she had prepared herself for anger—even sorrow; but ridicule left her without an answer. What could she say to a hearer, who only smiled, and to whom emotion was only a scene in a pastoral?
- A cantata relating to rural life; a composition for instruments characterized by simplicity and sweetness; a lyrical composition the subject of which is taken from rural life.
- A letter of a pastor to his charge; specifically, a letter addressed by a bishop to his diocese.
- A letter of the House of Bishops, to be read in each parish.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: arcadian, rural, rustic, bucolic, pleasant, idyllic, pastorale, idyll, pastoralist, pastor, pasture, rangeland, ranching, grassland, nomadic, spiritual
Translations
Every language
adj of or pertaining to shepherds
| Español | pastoral |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 牧人的 |
| Português | pastoral, pastoril |
| Français | pastoral |
| Ελληνικά | ποιμενικός poimenikós, βουκολικός voukolikós |
| Русский | пастуший pastušij |
adj relating to the care of souls, or to the pastor of a church
| 中文 | 主教的 |
|---|---|
| Português | pastoral |
| Français | pastoral |
| Ελληνικά | ποιμαντικός poimantikós |
noun poem
| 中文 | 田园诗 |
|---|---|
| Русский | пастора́ль pastorálʹ |
noun cantata
| Русский | пастора́ль pastorálʹ |
|---|
Talk about this word "pastoral." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/pastoral. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. pastoral. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/pastoral "pastoral." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/pastoral.Cite this
@misc{pastoral_2026,
title = {pastoral},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/pastoral},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
