Antiurban

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Opposed to or rejecting cities and urban life, favoring rural or suburban environments instead
2. Opposing or criticizing urban development while promoting rural living and environments is a key aspect of this perspective
3. This viewpoint rejects city life, advocating for the benefits and values of rural settings instead

Etymology: "Antiurban" is a plain compound: the Latin prefix "anti-", meaning "against" or "opposed to", attached to "urban", which comes from the Latin "urbanus", relating to a city, and ultimately from "urbs", meaning city. Put together, the word describes a stance set against the city itself rather than any particular urban problem. The pattern is a familiar one in English, where "anti-" has been attached to many nouns and adjectives to mark opposition, so "antiurban" follows the same logic as words built on the same prefix. Its meaning is therefore transparent: someone or something that rejects city life and prefers countryside or suburban surroundings.

Synonyms: rural, countryside

Antonyms: urban, metropolitan