Definition of provincenext

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 majority of cases have been detected in Bunia, the capital of the Ituri province, with cases also recorded in the provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uele and Tshopo, health officials noted. Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 30 July 2026 The current second largest outbreak, in DRC’s North Kivu and Ituri (yes, there’s overlap) provinces, reached a total of 3,470 cases after two years. Helen Branswell, STAT, 30 July 2026 According to Bank of America, semiconductor equipment imports into Anhui province, where CXMT is based, reached $226 million in March, more than double the monthly average in the second half of last year. Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 29 July 2026 Police said the bodies were found Tuesday inside a house in a rural area of the Canar province town of La Troncal. CBS News, 29 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for province
Recent Examples of Synonyms for province
Noun
  • This area is designated a blue zone because of its high percentage of residents aged 90 and older, a statistic that has remained consistent over the past 150 years.
    Refractor, Refractor, 27 July 2026
  • Firefighters in France and Spain are battling to control wildfires which have raged for days in the areas near the major cities of Bordeaux and Madrid.
    Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 27 July 2026
Noun
  • City documents say the department is assessing tripled fees for both structural and grading work done without authorization.
    Zuri Primos July 27, Kansas City Star, 27 July 2026
  • Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn will move to propose measures related to waiving Boston Police Department residency requirements and allowing retired officers to take shifts as the department faces ongoing staffing challenges.
    Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 27 July 2026
Noun
  • Ackman has become more ideological, expanding his crusades into cultural and academic realms.
    Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 20 July 2026
  • Though the song is heavily acoustic, its distorted guitar solos hail squarely from the realm of harder rock, and the artificial choirs that seep in toward the end seem to call out to the symphonic citadels of the Norwegian black metallers.
    Sam Goldner, Pitchfork, 19 July 2026
Noun
  • The opportunity in modern operations comes from giving data enough structure to reveal meaning across domains.
    Kannan Kothandaraman, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • Conceivably, a rights buyer would have no more protection than anyone publishing a work in the public domain.
    Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 30 July 2026
Noun
  • Magnesium, on the other hand, shows much more potential, with the same quantity of water containing 2,980 kg (6,570 lb) of the element, roughly the weight of a 2024 Ford F-250 Super Duty Cargo Truck … so, a lot.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 27 July 2026
  • There’s the Targaryen element, but there’s the Hightower in him as well.
    Sean T. Collins, Vulture, 27 July 2026
Noun
  • The Saudis, according to the person briefed on the substance of the call but not authorized to comment publicly, are concerned that Tehran could respond with attacks on the energy infrastructure of the kingdom and other Gulf countries.
    ABC News, ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Throughout the war between Iran, the US and Israel, the Saudi kingdom had kept open channels of communication with Tehran.
    Salma Arafa, CNN Money, 30 July 2026
Noun
  • Not the actual on-the-field product, but those who want to attend the games.
    Mac Engel July 31, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 July 2026
  • Some of the top players in the field, though, did not get off to a good start.
    CBS News, CBS News, 31 July 2026
Noun
  • The 29-year-old left-hander gave up two runs in five innings with seven strikeouts and two walks.
    ABC News, ABC News, 30 July 2026
  • The mile-long walk to Fisherman’s Wharf typically includes otter and harbor seal sightings.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Province.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/province. Accessed 2 Aug. 2026.

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