agrarian
gb/əɡɹˈɛɹiən/ us/əɡɹˈɛɹiən/
C1
English
Senses
0 senses
adjective
formal
C1
property
1
Related to farming and land
connected with farming, farmland, or country life, especially in a society where farming is very important
Usage pattern:
agrarian [society/economy/community/landscape]
Common mistake:
In everyday speech, agricultural or farming is often more natural. Agrarian is more formal and often describes societies, economies, land, or rural traditions.
Synonyms
agricultural (more common and general; often used for farming methods, products, or industry)
|
rural (emphasizes the countryside rather than farming itself)
|
farming (plain and everyday; less formal than agrarian)
|
pastoral (more literary; suggests country life or herding)
Antonyms
urban (relating to cities rather than rural or farming life)
|
industrial (based on manufacturing rather than agriculture)
Collocations
agrarian society
|agrarian economy
|agrarian community
|agrarian landscape
|agrarian life
|agrarian roots
|agrarian culture
|agrarian region
|agrarian population
|agrarian heritage
Themes
agriculture
|rural_life
|land
|society
Examples
- The country remained largely agrarian until factories began to spread in the late nineteenth century.
- The novel describes an agrarian community shaped by harvests, drought, and family farms.
- Tourism has changed the region, but its agrarian heritage is still visible in the vineyards and old barns.
Learner examples
- It was once an agrarian society where most people worked on farms.
- The village still has an agrarian way of life.
adjective
formal
C1
property
2
Concerning farmland ownership politics
connected with laws, politics, or conflicts about farmland and the people who work it
Usage pattern:
agrarian [reform/policy/movement/conflict/rights]
Common mistake:
Agrarian reform usually means changes to land ownership or rural power, not simply new farming technology.
Synonyms
land-related (broader and less formal; may not imply farming politics)
|
agricultural (more general; may refer to farming production rather than land ownership)
|
rural-political (explicitly political but less established as a dictionary synonym)
Antonyms
urban (concerning cities rather than rural land or farmers)
|
industrial (concerning manufacturing and factory interests rather than farming interests)
Collocations
agrarian reform
|agrarian policy
|agrarian movement
|agrarian politics
|agrarian rights
|agrarian conflict
|agrarian law
|agrarian question
|agrarian unrest
|agrarian interests
Themes
politics
|agriculture
|land
|economics
|law
Examples
- The new party built support around agrarian issues such as debt, land titles, and crop prices.
- Landless workers demanded agrarian reform and legal protection for tenant farmers.
- Agrarian conflicts intensified when large estates expanded onto land used by small farmers.
Learner examples
- The law was part of an agrarian reform program.
- Farmers voted for the party because of its agrarian policies.
Noun
formal
C2
role
3
Supporter of rural land interests
someone who supports farmers, rural life, or changes in land ownership
Usage pattern:
an agrarian; agrarians
Common mistake:
This noun use is much less common than the adjective. In many contexts, say supporter of land reform or advocate for farmers instead.
Synonyms
agrarianist (more explicitly ideological and also rare)
|
ruralist (broader; may support rural life without focusing on land reform)
|
land reformer (more specific; emphasizes changing land ownership)
Antonyms
industrialist (may suggest support for industry or ownership of industry rather than farming interests)
|
urbanist (focuses on cities rather than rural society)
Collocations
radical agrarian
|conservative agrarian
|southern agrarian
|agrarian thinker
|agrarian reformer
|agrarian politician
Themes
politics
|agriculture
|rural_life
|history
Examples
- Nineteenth-century agrarians argued that land should belong to the people who worked it.
- Some modern agrarians criticize industrial farming and defend small, local farms.
- The historian describes him as an agrarian who saw rural life as the basis of democracy.
Learner examples
- The agrarian wanted better laws for small farmers.
Grammar
Dictionary form
agrarian
IPA
GB/əɡɹˈɛɹiən/
US/əɡɹˈɛɹiən/
Syllables & stress
agrari - an (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (an)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: agrarian
Expressions
agrarian economy
1/əɡɹˈɛɹiən ɪkˈɑnəmi/
fixed phrase
formal
Agriculture-based economy
an economy based mostly on farming
Examples
- The region shifted from an agrarian economy to a manufacturing economy within two generations.
- In a largely agrarian economy, drought can affect national income and food prices.
- Better roads helped farmers bring crops to market and strengthened the agrarian economy.
agrarian movement
1/əɡɹˈɛɹiən mˈuvmənt/
fixed phrase
formal
Farmers' political movement
a political or social movement that tries to help farmers or change land rules
Examples
- The agrarian movement demanded lower taxes, fair crop prices, and access to credit.
- In several countries, agrarian movements challenged the power of large landowners.
- The party grew out of an agrarian movement among small farmers.
agrarian reform
1/əɡɹˈɛɹiən ɹɪfˈɔɹm/
fixed phrase
formal
Change in farmland ownership
changes to who owns or controls farmland, often to help poor farmers or tenant farmers
Examples
- After independence, the government launched agrarian reform to give tenant farmers legal title to their land.
- Agrarian reform was strongly opposed by large landowners.
- The success of agrarian reform depended on fair compensation, clear records, and access to credit.
agrarian revolution
1/əɡɹˈɛɹiən ɹˌɛvəlˈuʃən/
fixed phrase
formal
Major change in farming
a major change in how farming is done and how much food it produces
Examples
- The agrarian revolution increased food production and helped support growing cities.
- Some historians link the agrarian revolution to the rise of industrial capitalism.
- New irrigation methods created an agrarian revolution in parts of the valley.
agrarian society
1/əɡɹˈɛɹiən səsˈaɪəti/
fixed phrase
formal
Farming-based society
a society where most people live by farming and farming shapes daily life
Examples
- In an agrarian society, wealth was often measured in land and livestock.
- The textbook compares nomadic, agrarian, and industrial societies.
- Many agrarian societies organized the year around planting and harvest seasons.