country
A1Neutral to Formal (when referring to a nation); Informal (when referring to rural areas, e.g., 'the country').
Definition
Meaning
A nation with its own government and borders; an area of land distinguished by its people, culture, or government.
1. The rural areas, as opposed to towns or cities. 2. An area or region with particular characteristics or uses (e.g., 'wine country'). 3. In music, a genre originating in the rural Southern US.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word operates primarily as a count noun ('many countries') but becomes a non-count or singular proper noun when referring to rural areas ('I love the country') or in set phrases ('across country').
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal. Both use 'country' for nation and rural areas. In the UK, 'country' can more readily refer to a constituent nation (e.g., 'the home countries'). The musical genre is strongly associated with American culture.
Connotations
In both, 'the country' connotes peace, nature, and a slower pace vs. the city. In a national sense, it carries connotations of patriotism, identity, and shared culture.
Frequency
Extremely high frequency in both varieties with near-identical usage patterns.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[ADJ] countrycountry of [NOUN/ORIGIN]in/to/from a/the countryVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “It's a free country.”
- “Go to the country (call an election)”
- “A country mile (a long distance)”
- “Across country (not using roads)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to markets or operational locations (e.g., 'We're expanding into the Asian country markets.').
Academic
Used in political science, geography, economics (e.g., 'The country's GDP...', 'a cross-country analysis').
Everyday
Used for nationality, travel, and describing rural areas (e.g., 'What country are you from?', 'Let's go to the country this weekend.').
Technical
In law/politics: a sovereign state. In GIS: a geographical and political unit.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The horse countryed its way through the mud.
- He's countrying about on his estate.
American English
- They're countrying it up with some line dancing.
- He's been countrying across Texas all summer.
adverb
British English
- They live very country, miles from the nearest shop.
- She dresses quite country for town.
American English
- They talk country, slow and easy.
- He drives country, taking all the back roads.
adjective
British English
- She has a very country style, with her tweed and wellies.
- It's a bit country and western for my taste.
American English
- That's a real country breakfast—biscuits and gravy.
- He's got a country accent from Tennessee.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I live in a big country.
- My country is beautiful.
- They have a house in the country.
- France is a European country famous for its food.
- We drove through the country to reach the cottage.
- Which country would you most like to visit?
- The country's economy has shown remarkable resilience in the crisis.
- After years in the city, they longed for the tranquillity of the country.
- Policies vary from country to country.
- The treaty was ratified by all participating countries.
- His political rhetoric appealed to a certain segment of the country.
- The artist's work explores the dichotomy between the urban and the country.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a COUNTRY having a CROWN (government) and TERRITORY (land).
Conceptual Metaphor
A COUNTRY IS A CONTAINER (with borders), A PERSON (e.g., 'friendly countries'), and A BODY (e.g., 'the heart of the country').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not translate 'country' as 'страна' when referring to rural areas—use 'деревня' or 'сельская местность'. Confusion between 'country' (nation/land) and 'village' (деревня). The word 'state' (штат) in the US is not a 'country'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'country' as an uncountable noun for all nations (e.g., 'I visited many country' -> 'many countries'). Confusing 'country' (rural) with 'countryside' (always rural).
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence does 'country' refer to a rural area?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is primarily countable ('many countries'). It becomes uncountable when referring to rural areas ('I love the country') or in some set phrases ('cross country').
Both can refer to rural areas, but 'countryside' is more specific to the landscape and features of a rural area, while 'the country' is a more general term for areas outside cities and towns.
Yes, informally, to describe something typical of rural life or country music (e.g., 'country manners', 'a country singer'). It is not a standard adjective like 'national'.
Pronounced /ˈkʌn.tri/ in both British and American English. The 'tr' cluster is key; it's not 'coun-tree'. The first syllable rhymes with 'sun'.