What does “pastoral” mean?
- 1
adjectiveshowing country life in a peaceful, idealized way
The painting shows a pastoral scene of sheep and meadows.
- 2
adjectiverelating to the care and personal guidance given by a priest or teacher
The school offers strong pastoral support to students.
Pastoral at a glance
- Part of speech
- adjective
- CEFR level
- C2 (proficient)
- Pronunciation
- /ˈpæstərəl/ · PAS-ter-ul
How to use “pastoral” correctly
“Pastoral care” in schools means caring for students’ well-being, not their academic work.
Common phrases with “pastoral”
- a pastoral scene
- pastoral care
- pastoral landscape
Synonyms, opposites and related words
Synonyms (similar meaning)
- rural
- rustic
- idyllic
Antonyms (opposite meaning)
- urban
“pastoral” is on these word lists
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