country
1 of 2noun
coun·try ˈkən-trē 
plural countries
1
: an indefinite usually extended expanse of land : region
miles of open country
2
a
: the land of a person's birth, residence, or citizenship
left their country for America
b
: a political state or nation or its territory
the country of Italy
3
a
: the people of a state or district : populace
Most of the country voted to end the death penalty.
b
: jury
c
: electorate sense 2
The government will go to the country with this issue.
4
: rural as distinguished from urban areas
prefers the country to the city
5
: country music
6
geology : country rock sense 2
countryish
ˈkən-trē-ish
adjective country
2 of 2adjective
1
: of, relating to, or characteristic of the country
country living
2
a
: of or relating to a decorative style associated with life in the country
an English country look
also : possessing a style of rustic simplicity
country furniture
b
: prepared or processed with farm supplies and procedures
country ham
3
: of, relating to, suitable for, or featuring country music
country singers
Did you know?
The English word country is derived from Latin contra, which means “against” or “on the opposite side.” In Medieval Latin the noun contrata was formed from contra. Contrata was literally “that which is situated opposite the beholder.” But that which is opposite the beholder is just what he or she sees. So contrata meant “landscape.” It also came to mean “expanse of land, region.” This was the original meaning of English country, which over the years has itself developed a number of new meanings.
Synonyms
Noun
- fatherland
- home
- homeland
- mother country
- motherland
- sod
Adjective
- bucolic
- pastoral
- rural
- rustic
- rustical
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Noun The two countries have a lot in common. They drove across the country from California to New York. They are living in different parts of the country. The whole country was stunned by the news. The President has the support of most of the country. He moved to the north country to fish and hunt. We went camping in the hill country. They drove through miles of open country. She lives out in the country. They prefer the country to the city. Adjective plain country living among unpretentious people See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Michael Sokolove, The New Republic, 15 Sep. 2022 Ever since Los Espookys premiered in 2019, the show has become a sleeper hit, an outlandish fever dream set in an unnamed Latin American country. Devan Coggan, EW.com, 15 Sep. 2022 The period’s counterculture had renewed a national back-to-the-land movement, inspiring thousands of young people to trade urban life for country places. Danny Heitman, WSJ, 15 Sep. 2022 Reports from other stops on this summer’s tour reveal a set list heavy on his familiar rap-rock and country-tinged hits, alongside a smattering of new material. Brian Mccollum, Detroit Free Press, 15 Sep. 2022 In a cover story for The Spruce, the country sensation, 29, shared an inside look at her modern farmhouse in Nashville. Natalia Senanayake, Peoplemag, 15 Sep. 2022 Brazil heads to the polls on Oct. 2 for crucial general elections in Latin America’s largest economy and most populous country that will determine the next President, Vice President, and National Congress. Time, 15 Sep. 2022 In more recent years, the royal family has spent Christmas and New Year at Sandringham House, which was the queen's country estate in Norfolk. Chantal Da Silva, NBC News, 15 Sep. 2022 Youngstown is now Trump country and could very well go for Vance in the Senate, despite Tim Ryan’s local roots. E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2022 Time, 16 Sep. 2022 The fight happened weeks before authorities say the boyfriend killed her while the couple was on a cross-country van trip. Brady Mccombs And Sam Metz, USA TODAY, 9 Aug. 2022 Early in their relationship — long before meeting in person — Hammer was planning a cross-country road trip and wanted to stop and see her. Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 2 Sep. 2022 The film tells the story of Kiran — played by Khurmi — a first generation Punjabi trucker and anxious father-to-be, who stumbles across Elena, a 10-year-old undocumented Mexican-American, during a cross-country trip. Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Aug. 2022 The couple left on a cross-country road trip in June 2021, taking Petito’s converted Ford Transit van on a tour of national and state parks, chronicled on Petito’s Instagram and YouTube accounts. Fox News, 12 Aug. 2022 Police interviewed Petito and Laundrie in August 2021 during a cross-country road trip. Harold Maass, The Week, 9 Aug. 2022 The fight happened weeks before authorities say the boyfriend killed her while the couple was on a cross-country van trip. Brady Mccombs And Sam Metz, USA TODAY, 9 Aug. 2022 Petito, an aspiring travel influencer, vanished last summer on a cross-country road trip with Laundrie. Dakin Andone And Chuck Johnston, CNN, 9 Aug. 2022 See More
Noun
It’s no longer a Reagan-era vision of conservative government, God, and country. Michael Sokolove, The New Republic, 15 Sep. 2022 Ever since Los Espookys premiered in 2019, the show has become a sleeper hit, an outlandish fever dream set in an unnamed Latin American country. Devan Coggan, EW.com, 15 Sep. 2022 The period’s counterculture had renewed a national back-to-the-land movement, inspiring thousands of young people to trade urban life for country places. Danny Heitman, WSJ, 15 Sep. 2022 Reports from other stops on this summer’s tour reveal a set list heavy on his familiar rap-rock and country-tinged hits, alongside a smattering of new material. Brian Mccollum, Detroit Free Press, 15 Sep. 2022 In a cover story for The Spruce, the country sensation, 29, shared an inside look at her modern farmhouse in Nashville. Natalia Senanayake, Peoplemag, 15 Sep. 2022 Brazil heads to the polls on Oct. 2 for crucial general elections in Latin America’s largest economy and most populous country that will determine the next President, Vice President, and National Congress. Time, 15 Sep. 2022 In more recent years, the royal family has spent Christmas and New Year at Sandringham House, which was the queen's country estate in Norfolk. Chantal Da Silva, NBC News, 15 Sep. 2022 Youngstown is now Trump country and could very well go for Vance in the Senate, despite Tim Ryan’s local roots. E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2022 Adjective
Days after the test flight, a cross-country trip on a full American Airlines Airbus with Viasat gear and more than 100 passengers delivered around 2.2 megabits per second. Time, 16 Sep. 2022 The fight happened weeks before authorities say the boyfriend killed her while the couple was on a cross-country van trip. Brady Mccombs And Sam Metz, USA TODAY, 9 Aug. 2022 Early in their relationship — long before meeting in person — Hammer was planning a cross-country road trip and wanted to stop and see her. Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 2 Sep. 2022 The film tells the story of Kiran — played by Khurmi — a first generation Punjabi trucker and anxious father-to-be, who stumbles across Elena, a 10-year-old undocumented Mexican-American, during a cross-country trip. Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Aug. 2022 The couple left on a cross-country road trip in June 2021, taking Petito’s converted Ford Transit van on a tour of national and state parks, chronicled on Petito’s Instagram and YouTube accounts. Fox News, 12 Aug. 2022 Police interviewed Petito and Laundrie in August 2021 during a cross-country road trip. Harold Maass, The Week, 9 Aug. 2022 The fight happened weeks before authorities say the boyfriend killed her while the couple was on a cross-country van trip. Brady Mccombs And Sam Metz, USA TODAY, 9 Aug. 2022 Petito, an aspiring travel influencer, vanished last summer on a cross-country road trip with Laundrie. Dakin Andone And Chuck Johnston, CNN, 9 Aug. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Noun and Adjective
Middle English contree, from Anglo-French cuntree, contré, from Medieval Latin contrata, from Latin contra against, on the opposite side
First Known Use
Noun
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a
Adjective
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing country
Kids Definition
country
noun
coun·try ˈkən-trē
plural countries
1
: a land lived in by a people with a common government
the countries of Europe
2
: region sense 1, district
good farming country
3
: open rural land away from big towns and cities
Take a ride in the country.
4
: the people of a nation
a whole country in revolt
country 1 of 2
noun
1
as in home
the land of one's birth, residence, or citizenship a great love for my country Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- home
- homeland
- fatherland
- motherland
- sod
- mother country
- neighborhood
- community
- old country
2
as in countryside
the open rural area outside of big towns and cities out in the country, where the air is fresh and the rivers are clean Synonyms & Similar Words
- countryside
- nowhere
- wilderness
- boondocks
- boonies
- wild
- sticks
- bush
- middle of nowhere
- hinterland
- backwater
- frontier
- backwoods
- outback
- backcountry
- exurbia
- up-country
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- megalopolis
- urban sprawl
- conurbation
3
as in nation
a body of people composed of one or more nationalities usually with its own territory and government usually in time of war, the whole country unites behind the president Synonyms & Similar Words
- nation
- state
- commonwealth
- kingdom
- province
- land
- republic
- sovereignty
- empire
- homeland
- democracy
- sovranty
- domain
- sovereign
- principality
- realm
- monarchy
- dictatorship
- ministate
- emirate
- fatherland
- colony
- dominion
- duchy
- sultanate
- motherland
- settlement
- mandate
- nation-state
- microstate
- soil
- city-state
- superpower
- dependency
- seigniory
- world power
- trust territory
- theocracy
- oligarchy
- dukedom
- sea power
- seignory
- power
- great power
- welfare state
- condominium
- client state
- monocracy
- sovran
country
2 of 2adjective
as in rural
of, relating to, associated with, or typical of open areas with few buildings or people plain country living among unpretentious people Synonyms & Similar Words
- rural
- bucolic
- pastoral
- rustic
- rustical
- provincial
- agricultural
- backwoods
- agrarian
- countrified
- countryfied
- backwoodsy
- semirural
- nonurban
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- urban
- metropolitan
- municipal
- urbanized
- metro
- citified
- nonagricultural
- nonfarm