Synonym Chooser

How is the word province distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of province are duty, function, and office. While all these words mean "the acts or operations expected of a person or thing," 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

Where would duty be a reasonable alternative to province?

The words duty and province are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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

When is function a more appropriate choice than province?

The meanings of function and province largely overlap; however, 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

When can office be used instead of province?

The synonyms office and province are sometimes interchangeable, but 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

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of province The result came after Milei’s party suffered a landslide defeat to the Peronist opposition in a September local vote in the Buenos Aires province, an outcome that sparked a selloff of the peso amid investor fears over the president’s standing with voters. Jason Ma, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2025 His La Libertad Avanza party earned roughly 9 points more than the left-leaning Peronist opposition, and also eked out a victory in the powerful province of Buenos Aires, where Peronists usually dominate. NPR, 27 Oct. 2025 The win for Milei on Sunday marks a comeback from an election in September that saw his party lose in the Buenos Aires province by a margin of 13% to the Peronists. Zach Lachance, The Washington Examiner, 27 Oct. 2025 The National Disaster Risk Management System in Haiti assigned red alerts to high-risk regions, and 12 provinces in the Dominican Republic moved to similar alert levels, according to the Associated Press. Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for province
Recent Examples of Synonyms for province
Noun
  • Chilly air and clouds will be rolling into the Greater Cincinnati area for the last week of October.
    Cheryl Vari, Cincinnati Enquirer, 27 Oct. 2025
  • Mequon is creating a long-term plan for the area near City Hall, which could involve moving Rennicke Field.
    Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 27 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • On the Tibetan side of Everest, ticket sales had been suspended since Tuesday afternoon as roads turned icy and visibility plunged, creating impassable conditions for vehicular traffic, according to the tourism department of Tingri county.
    Reuters, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2025
  • Many of the usual staff and departments who have directed Caribbean aid in the past have been laid off.
    Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 29 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • By creating space for these histories in her fictive realm, Pritam strove to remember those on the periphery.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 30 Oct. 2025
  • War is a realm of chance, accident, and volatility over which its participants can only ever hope to work a small measure of influence, as Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace reminds us.
    Elizabeth D. Samet, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • One key mission of the Space Force is space domain awareness (SDA), which is focused on tracking and monitoring objects in space.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2025
  • In law, finance, tax, and other high stakes domains, wrong answers do not just waste time.
    Joel Hron, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • In reality, those layered elements are seamlessly built into one stylish piece.
    Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 30 Oct. 2025
  • The very elements that saved Michelle’s life—structure, safety, mentorship, and faith—are absent from California’s Housing First mandate.
    Michele Steeb, Oc Register, 29 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • While oil continues to drive Saudi Arabia's economy, the kingdom is now expanding into areas such as artificial intelligence, tourism and sports to diversify its growth avenues.
    Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 28 Oct. 2025
  • Saudi Arabia opens its flagship business conference today at a moment of optimism, even as the kingdom faces major macroeconomic challenges.
    Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 28 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • His middle name is a homage to the Atlanta Braves’ former field where Freddie played for the majority of his career.
    Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 26 Oct. 2025
  • The next time Hamilton had the ball, Sculley hit Oliver crossing the middle of the field for a 90-yard touchdown.
    Richard Obert, AZCentral.com, 26 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Kirk’s night also included a nine-pitch walk in the first and a single and two-run homer in the nine-run sixth.
    Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Breathe in the salt air during sunrise yoga on the beach or slow down with a meditative walk along the shore, with the clear waters of the Caribbean as your backdrop.
    AFAR Media, AFAR Media, 24 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Province.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/province. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.

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