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 ship left Sihanoukville late Tuesday with only crew and other personnel on board, said Tang Sochetkresna, director of the Tourism Department of Preah Sihanouk province. — Sopheng Cheang, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026 The team will travel to the mainland to attend a funeral for De Miguel that García says tentatively will be Thursday in the central province of Toledo. — ABC News, 4 Nov. 2026 Founded in 2010 in Xiamen, Fujian province, Ms Min became one of the first Chinese designers to become a LVMH Prize semifinalist. — Denni Hu, Footwear News, 3 Nov. 2026 In the weeks following Putin’s partial mobilization, Zvyagintsev had got a call from an acquaintance, a successful businessman in the Russian provinces. — Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026 See All Example Sentences for province
Recent Examples of Synonyms for province
Noun
  • Houthis strike Aramco tower in Riyadh Houthi fighters took aim at the financial district of Saudi Arabia’s capital on Sunday — one of the highest-profile areas to be targeted in the war.
    — Ashley Gold, semafor.com, 9 Nov. 2026
  • An Israeli strike on Sunday killed two Palestinians, a man and woman, in Muwasi, a tent camp area on Gaza's coast, said health officials at Nasser hospital.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 9 Nov. 2026
Noun
  • The department also filed a motion in support of a separate lawsuit filed in May that argues California violates national voting laws by failing to sufficiently remove ineligible voters from its rolls.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Gaines said patrol officers and the department’s SWAT vehicle were used to serve the warrant.
    — Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 8 Nov. 2026
Noun
  • Its epic-length bookends transposed the funereal aims of Bell Witch’s modern doom masterpiece Mirror Reaper to Floydian realms, while its gentler, more meditative midsection never completely renounced the artists’ metal roots.
    — Patrick Lyons, Pitchfork, 9 Nov. 2026
  • The realm of authorship in the opinion section has also always been a bit dubious.
    — Max Tani, semafor.com, 9 Nov. 2026
Noun
  • Which public-domain classics are next on the slate, and is there a European-language classic that could lead in its own language instead of English?
    — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Enterprise environments span multiple technology domains and providers.
    — Dilip Kumar, Forbes.com, 6 Nov. 2026
Noun
  • One of the strongest tests comes from Big Bang nucleosynthesis (BBN), the process through which the first light elements formed during the universe’s first few minutes.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Stew and Rodewald are as eager as anyone to see what Levingston has done with a project that takes elements of Stew’s real coming-of-age and sets them to rock ‘n’ roll.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 8 Nov. 2026
Noun
  • Since then, Saudi Arabia has regularly bombed Houthi positions, while the group has expanded its attacks against the oil-rich kingdom.
    — Frank Andrews, CBS News, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline proved to be a crucial lifeline, both for energy markets and the kingdom’s financial health, as did Abu Dhabi’s pipeline to Fujairah.
    — Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 5 Nov. 2026
Noun
  • The collaboration will see Thea Energy and MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center (PSFC) test a full-field, full-force planar encircling coil for the company’s Eos stellarator.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Despite a tough primary, Ford pulled out the win in the crowded field.
    — Gregory Royal Pratt, Chicago Tribune, 4 Nov. 2026
Noun
  • The shops and restaurants of the Aventura Mall are just a seven-minute walk away.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Nov. 2026
  • During our walk, Kewman and I came upon a flock of California quail beside the trail.
    — Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Province.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/province. Accessed 11 Nov. 2026.

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