Countrylike

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Having the qualities of rural surroundings, such as open land, quiet, and a simple way of life
2. Suggesting the character of the open fields and villages found outside towns and cities
3. Resembling rustic, pastoral scenery or the unhurried, unpolished feel of life away from urban places

Etymology: "Countrylike" is a plain compound: "country" joined to the suffix "-like," which attaches to a noun to mean "resembling or having the qualities of" that thing. So the word describes something that has the character of the countryside, such as a rural, unpretentious, or pastoral quality. The base "country" comes from Old French "contrée," meaning a region or district, which traces back to Late Latin "contrata," a term meaning "land lying opposite" or "the land in front of one." The suffix "-like" is an old Germanic element, related to the noun "body" or "form," and English has used it to build adjectives since Old English times. Joining the two produces a word that needs no special history beyond its parts: a description of anything with a countrified feel.

Synonyms: rural, rustic, pastoral, bucolic

Antonyms: urban, metropolitan, cosmopolitan