From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishthe countrythe countrya) DNCOUNTRYSIDEland that is outside towns and cities, including land used for farming SYN the countrysidein the country I’ve always wanted to live in the country. b) PERSON/PEOPLEall the people who live in a particular country The president has the support of the country. → country
Examples from the Corpus
in the country• There is a certain silliness around in the country.• After all, everybody in the country was supposed to have an equal shot at getting them.• It should surely be essential for every school, library and bookish home in the country.• San Diego is the hardest place in the country to tell a Democrat from a Republican.• My boss was struggling to finance every national park and game reserve in the country.• He says the rink is one of the biggest, cleanest, best rinks in the country.• He told us all about his life over there, and the political situations in the countries he worked in.• But George W.'s Houston has the worst smog in the country. 