Added 10 October 2026
pastoral
/ˈpɑːstə.ɹəl/ adjective
Latin root: pāstōrālis Wiktionary
adjective Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about pastoral at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- Of or pertaining to shepherds or herders of other livestock.
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Relating to rural life and scenes, in particular of poetry.
We were living a pastoral life.
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Relating to the care of souls, to(clarification of this definition is needed) 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
noun
- A poem describing the life and manners of shepherds; a poem in which the speakers assume the character of shepherds; an idyll; a bucolic.
- 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.
Origin
From Middle French, Old French pastoral, from Latin pāstōrālis, from pāstor (“shepherd”), + adjective suffix -ālis.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)