the provinces
plural noun
: the parts of a country that are away from large cities
They left the city for life in the provinces.
Examples of the provinces in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
For decades the capital had worked like a slowly exploding atom bomb, inhaling poor Filipinos from the provinces and spitting them into distant suburbs, transforming rural barangays into slums of concrete and zinc.
—
Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
The premier of one of the provinces in South Africa impacted by weeks of heavy rains said that the damage there could be around $250 million.
—Charles Mangwiro, Los Angeles Times, 19 Jan. 2026
Police seized one of the helicopters, 1,448 pounds of hashish, five firearms, cash and vehicles during raids in the provinces of Malaga, Almeria and Murcia.
—CBS News, 15 Dec. 2025
Some key roads connecting the provinces are closed, officials said.
—Arkansas Online, 28 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the provinces
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.
Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
The premier of one of the provinces in South Africa impacted by weeks of heavy rains said that the damage there could be around $250 million.
—Charles Mangwiro, Los Angeles Times, 19 Jan. 2026
Police seized one of the helicopters, 1,448 pounds of hashish, five firearms, cash and vehicles during raids in the provinces of Malaga, Almeria and Murcia.
—CBS News, 15 Dec. 2025
Some key roads connecting the provinces are closed, officials said.
—Arkansas Online, 28 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the provinces
Cite this Entry
“The provinces.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20provinces. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
