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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
North Korea launched multiple cruise missiles from one of its eastern coastal provinces on Thursday as its state media reported the ship launch failure, South Korean defense officials said. Choe Sang-Hun, New York Times, 22 May 2025 What To Know The MCA, the sixth joint maritime activity between the United States and the Philippines and the second this year, took place off the country's western provinces of Palawan and Occidental Mindoro, the Philippine military said in a statement. Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 May 2025 Citizens are shopping at a supermarket in Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu province, on March 9, 2024. Anniek Bao,evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 19 May 2025 Hotel Eiger Mürren For an elegant dinner, book a table by the window at the restaurant in Hotel Eiger Mürren, where dishes highlight local ingredients like Vaud province cheese and soup made with Lauterbrunnen Valley pumpkins. Noelle Salmi, Travel + Leisure, 19 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for province

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Province.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/province. Accessed 28 May. 2025.

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

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