pastoral
PASS-tor-uhl
/ˈpɑː.stər.əl/
Relating to the keeping or grazing of sheep or cattle; or portraying idealized rural life.
Distinguishes livestock-oriented agricultural systems from crop-oriented (arable) systems.
The story behind the word. From Latin 'pastoralis', stemming from 'pastor' (shepherd), which derives directly from 'pascere' (to feed or graze animals).
Word relationships
- bucolic: Bucolic is primarily literary and poetic, whereas pastoral is used in both literary and socio-economic science.
- arable: Arable describes land used for growing crops, whereas pastoral describes land used for grazing livestock.
Commonly confused with
- pastor: Pastor refers to a religious minister (literally 'herder of souls'); pastoral describes rural grazing life or spiritual care.
Word family
- pastoralism (noun): The branch of agriculture concerned with the raising of livestock.
Collocations
- pastoral economy
- pastoral nomadism
- pastoral society
- pastoral landscape
Example sentences
- "Nomadic pastoral communities moved livestock seasonally across high pastures to find fresh grazing grounds." Sociology of pastoral communities
- "The region relied on a pastoral economy centered around sheep farming and wool processing." Rural sociology monograph
Memory hook
Pastoral = Pasture for animals to eat grass. Pastor = shepherd = livestock grazing.
When not to use
Do not use to describe crop-growing farms with no livestock or animals.
Fun facts
- Pastoral poetry in ancient Greece and Rome featured shepherds singing about love in idyllic countryside settings.
Explore more words
contemplative, picturesque, leisurely, shepherd, nomad, aesthetic
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