deruralization

Etymology

From de- + ruralization.

Why this word is great

DERURALIZATION — [Noun] The abandonment of the countryside by its population. From de- ("reversal") + ruralization ("process of making rural"). Unlike "urbanization" (which focuses on the growth of cities) or "depeasantization" (which narrows to the decline of farming life), deruralization is the hollowing out of an entire way of being. It is the sagging barn roof surrendering to ivy, the schoolhouse shuttered for lack of children, and the silence of a church bell that no longer rings for lack of hands to pull the rope—a quiet unraveling of the world’s oldest rhythm. The land remains, but the people who gave it meaning do not.

noun

The abandonment of the countryside by its population.