Definitions of pastoral

1. a literary work idealizing the rural life ( especially the life of shepherds)

2. a letter from a pastor to the congregation

3. A poem describing the life and manners of shepherds; a poem in which the speakers assume the character of shepherds; an idyl; a bucolic.

4. 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.

5. A letter of a pastor to his charge; specifically, a letter addressed by a bishop to his diocese; also ( Prot. Epis. Ch.), a letter of the House of Bishops, to be read in each parish.

6. A poem showing happenings in countrylife; a picture showing rural scenes.

7. A poem which professes to delineate the scenery and life of the country: a pastoral letter or address: ( mus.) a simple melody.

8. A rural poem; letter or address to the clergy.

9. A poem dealing with rural matters; an idyl.

10. A picture illustrating rural scenes.

11. Pastorship.

12. A poem on shepherd or rural life; a bucolic; a pastoral letter; a pastorale.

13. A sort of dramatic poem on the incidents of a country life; a bishop's pastoral letter, or that of an ecclesiastical court, addressed to both clergy and people.

14. Pastorally.

15. Of or pertaining to shepherds; hence, relating to rural life and scenes; as, a pastoral life.

16. Relating to the care of souls, or to the pastor of a church; as, pastoral duties; a pastoral letter.

17. Pertaining to the care of a church; pertaining to rural life.

18. Relating to shepherds or shepherd life: rustic: relating to the pastor of a church: addressed to the clergy of a diocese.

19. Relating to shepherds; rural; relating to clergymen.

20. Pertaining to the life of shepherds and rustics.

21. Pertaining to a pastor and his work.

22. Pertaining to shepherds or shepherd life; rural; relating to the pastor of a church or the cure of souls; addressed to the clergy.

23. Pert. to shepherds; pert. to the care of a flock or a church; addressed to the clergy of a diocese by its bishop; rustic; rural.