Learn English – Isn’t “rural” redundant in “rural village”

usage

My question is simple. Isn't "rural" redundant in "rural village"? However, there are 6,78,000 Google results for this phrase.

Best Answer

No. While it is true that traditionally and "generically" a village is a rural settlement cluster in the country, nowadays village may have a technical legal meaning divorced from its traditional meaning.

In many states of the US, for instance, a village is a specific type of municipality, with specific powers and a specific type of governance. I live in St. Louis County, Missouri, the suburban sprawl around the City of St. Louis; of the 90 municipalities in the county, 22 are villages, governed by a board of trustees rather than a mayor. Some of them were originally rural communities which have been enveloped by urbanization; others are enclaves of a few very wealthy people.