pastoral

Related to a religious leader’s care and support for members of their community.

• The priest provides pastoral care.
• Her pastoral duties include visiting sick members.
• The bishop discussed pastoral support for grieving families.

Similar words: cleric, clerical, black-collar, cleric

Common phrases: pastoral care, pastoral duties, pastoral visits

Showing peaceful country life, especially in writing or art.

• The painting shows a pastoral scene.
• She writes pastoral poetry about village life.
• Green fields give the valley a pastoral charm.

Similar words: bucolic, rural

Common phrases: pastoral scene, pastoral poetry, pastoral landscape

Related to people who keep and move groups of sheep, cattle, or other farm animals.

• The region depends on pastoral farming.
• Pastoral communities move their animals to fresh grass.
• Drought threatens the traditional pastoral economy.

Similar words: shepherdish, shepherdly

Common phrases: pastoral farming, pastoral communities, pastoral economy

A letter from a religious leader to the people in their care.

• The bishop issued a pastoral.
• His pastoral asked the diocese to support local families.
• The priest read the pastoral to the congregation.

Similar words: pastoral letter

Common phrases: issue a pastoral, a bishop’s pastoral, read a pastoral

A poem about peaceful country life, often with people who look after sheep as its speakers.

• She wrote a short pastoral.
• The pastoral describes shepherds resting beside a stream.
• We studied several pastorals in our poetry class.

Similar words: eclogue, idyll

Common phrases: write a pastoral, a short pastoral, a classical pastoral

A piece of music suggesting peaceful country life through gentle, simple sounds.

• The orchestra played a pastoral.
• He composed a gentle pastoral for flute.
• The concert ended with a pastoral suggesting a quiet summer evening.

Similar words: pastorale

Common phrases: a gentle pastoral, compose a pastoral, perform a pastoral

A letter from a church’s group of bishops, intended to be read in every local church.

• The bishops issued a pastoral.
• The pastoral was read in every parish on Sunday.
• Their joint pastoral called on congregations to help refugees.

Common phrases: a joint pastoral, read the pastoral, issue a pastoral