province

prov·ince

noun \ˈprä-vən(t)s\

Definition of PROVINCE

1

a : a country or region brought under the control of the ancient Roman government b : an administrative district or division of a country c plural : all of a country except the metropolises

2

a : a division of a country forming the jurisdiction of an archbishop or metropolitan b : a territorial unit of a religious order

3

a : a biogeographic division of less rank than a region b : an area that exhibits essential continuity of geological history; also : one characterized by particular structural or petrological features

4

a : proper or appropriate function or scope : sphere <that question is outside my province> b : a department of knowledge or activity

Examples of PROVINCE

1. They left the city for life in the provinces.
2. <a legal question outside the doctor's province>

Origin of PROVINCE

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin provincia

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to PROVINCE

Synonyms: area, arena, bailiwick, barony, business, circle, demesne, department, discipline, domain, element, fief, fiefdom, firmament, front, game, kingdom, line, precinct, field, realm, specialty, sphere, terrain, walk

Related Words: frontier; study, subject; territory, turf; occupation, profession, pursuit, racket, vocation; ambit, amplitude, breadth, compass, confine, dimension(s), extent, ken, reach, scope, sweep, width; subfield, subspecialty

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See Synonym Discussion at function

Other Government and Politics Terms

agent provocateur, agitprop, autarky, cabal, egalitarianism, federalism, hegemony, plenipotentiary, popular sovereignty, socialism