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

See Synonym Discussion at function

Other Government and Politics Terms

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