province

noun

prov·​ince ˈprä-vən(t)s How to pronounce province (audio)
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
provinces 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 geologic 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
Choose the Right Synonym for province

function, office, duty, province mean the acts or operations expected of a person or thing.

function implies a definite end or purpose or a particular kind of work.

the function of language is two-fold: to communicate emotion and to give information Aldous Huxley

office is typically applied to the function or service associated with a trade or profession or a special relationship to others.

they exercise the offices of the judge, the priest, the counsellor W. E. Gladstone

duty applies to a task or responsibility imposed by one's occupation, rank, status, or calling.

it is the judicial duty of the court, to examine the whole case R. B. Taney

province applies to a function, office, or duty that naturally or logically falls to one.

I felt it was not my province to inquire Anne Brontë

Examples of province in a Sentence

They left the city for life in the provinces. a legal question outside the doctor's province
Recent Examples on the Web After the telescope touched down in a remote part of Santa Cruz province Argentina, the parachute failed to disengage as planned. Discover Magazine, 17 Nov. 2023 Some provinces in China fund medical ships to shadow distant-water fishing fleets based in their ports. Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2023 But the deputy commander of the battalion, who used the call sign Hook, said Russia’s animosity for the group was more likely because it was drawn from local men from the eastern provinces who were opposed to Russian rule. Oleksandr Chubko, New York Times, 27 Oct. 2023 At that time, Covid-19 was quickly spreading in other parts of the world—in Italy, for example, northern provinces were placed under lockdown that same day, and the country’s schools and universities had closed just a few days earlier. Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Oct. 2023 Grade school classes were canceled Monday in parts of Heilongjiang as well as neighboring Liaoning and Inner Mongolia provinces. Fox News, 6 Nov. 2023 For instance, several of China’s provinces have copied California’s cap-and-trade program for industrial emissions. Ann Scott Tyson, The Christian Science Monitor, 2 Nov. 2023 The team behind the new paper suggests that a completely different source could explain the odd properties of these large low-velocity provinces. John Timmer, Ars Technica, 1 Nov. 2023 Days before Pakistan announced the deportations, suicide bombings at two mosques in provinces bordering Afghanistan killed about 60 people. Mushtaq Yusufzai, NBC News, 1 Nov. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'province.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin provincia

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of province was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near province

Cite this Entry

“Province.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/province. Accessed 2 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

province

noun
prov·​ince ˈpräv-ən(t)s How to pronounce province (audio)
1
a
: a country or region brought under the control of the ancient Roman government
b
: a usually large division of a country having its own government
Canadian provinces
c
plural : all of a country except the chief cities
2
: the jurisdiction of an archbishop or metropolitan
3
: proper or appropriate business or area of skill, knowledge, or interest
a legal question outside the physician's province

More from Merriam-Webster on province

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