Advertisement

Advertisement

View synonyms for

pastoral

[ pas-ter-uhl, pah-ster- ]

adjective

  1. having the simplicity, charm, serenity, or other characteristics generally attributed to rural areas:

    pastoral scenery; the pastoral life.

    Synonyms: , ,

  2. pertaining to the country or to life in the country; rural; rustic.
  3. portraying or suggesting idyllically the life of shepherds or of the country, as a work of literature, art, or music:

    pastoral poetry; a pastoral symphony.

    Synonyms: ,

  4. of, relating to, or consisting of shepherds.
  5. of or relating to a pastor or the duties of a pastor:

    pastoral visits to a hospital.

  6. used for pasture, as land.


noun

  1. a poem, play, or the like, dealing with the life of shepherds, commonly in a conventional or artificial manner, or with simple rural life generally; a bucolic.

    Synonyms: , ,

  2. a picture or work of art representing the shepherds' life.
  3. Music. pastorale.
  4. a treatise on the duties of a pastor.
  5. a letter to the people from their spiritual pastor.
  6. a letter to the clergy or people of an ecclesiastical district from its bishop.
  7. Also called pastoral staff. crosier ( def 1 ).

pastoral

/ ˈɑːəə /

adjective

  1. of, characterized by, or depicting rural life, scenery, etc
  2. (of a literary work) dealing with an idealized form of rural existence in a conventional way
  3. (of land) used for pasture
  4. denoting or relating to the branch of theology dealing with the duties of a clergyman or priest to his congregation
  5. of or relating to a clergyman or priest in charge of a congregation or his duties as such
  6. of or relating to a teacher's responsibility for the personal, as the distinct from the educational, development of pupils
  7. of or relating to shepherds, their work, etc
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. a literary work or picture portraying rural life, esp the lives of shepherds in an idealizing way See also eclogue
  2. music a variant of pastorale
  3. Christianity
    1. a letter from a clergyman to the people under his charge
    2. the letter of a bishop to the clergy or people of his diocese
    3. Also calledpastoral staff the crosier or staff carried by a bishop as a symbol of his pastoral responsibilities
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

pastoral

  1. A work of art that celebrates the cultivated enjoyment of the countryside. The poem “The Passionate Shepherd to His Love,” by Christopher Marlowe, is a pastoral. Its first stanza reads:

    Come live with me, and be my love;

    And we will all the pleasures prove

    That hills and valleys, dales and fields,

    Woods or steepy mountain yields.

Discover More

Derived Forms

  • ˈ貹ٴǰˌ, noun
  • ˈ貹ٴǰ, adverb
Discover More

Other Word Forms

  • 貹t·· adverb
  • ԴDz·貹t· adjective noun
  • non·貹t·· adverb
  • i·貹t· adjective
  • semi·貹t·· adverb
  • ܲ·貹t· adjective
  • un·貹t·· adverb
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of pastoral1

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin ō, equivalent to ō-, stem of ٴǰ ( pastor ) + - -al 1
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of pastoral1

C15: from Latin, from pastor
Discover More

Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Mr Campbell, who now helps with behaviour and pastoral care at the school, said he had never come across such an "extreme" incident in his 42-year career at the school.

From

There is already much speculation about whom the cardinals will select and whether that new pope will continue Francis’ pastoral priorities of concern for the poor and reform of the Vatican bureaucracy.

From

Unlike Parolin, he has decades of pastoral experience – meaning he has been an active Church leader among the people as opposed to a diplomat for the Vatican or cloistered expert on Church law.

From

He, by contrast, preferred a gentler form of pastoral support.

From

The chain's website boasts of offering a range of pastoral and welfare services that exceed the requirements of its contracts, ensuring guests are treated with dignity.

From

Advertisement

Related Words

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


pastoragepastoral counseling