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 Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, is especially important. ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026 As a result, nearly all the country’s provinces banned the sale of American spirits and wines. Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 19 Aug. 2026 The milestone moves the unit one step closer to powering homes across Shandong province before the year is out. Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 18 Aug. 2026 Many residents on Flores island in East Nusa Tenggara province spent the day mourning victims while military teams tried to deliver food, clean water and clothing to inaccessible communities by plane. Firdia Lisnawati, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for province
Recent Examples of Synonyms for province
Noun
  • Morris has held other leadership roles in education before stepping into her current position, first leading the school’s Dallas-area campus in Irving, Texas, then returning to the Atlanta area last year to lead the campus in Decatur.
    Carson Bonner, AJC.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Others warn the strategy risks civilian casualties, particularly in Colombia, where armed groups operate among civilian populations and often function as de facto authorities in areas beyond the state’s reach.
    ABC News, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The department said the suspect remained at the scene and was taken into custody.
    Matthew Ablon, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Her hiring came after allegations of a toxic and abusive culture within the department surfaced in a 2020 lawsuit filed by Jennifer Conviser, a sport psychologist who had consulted with DePaul’s athletic department from 2005 to 2018.
    Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • It was worshipped as a goddess, believed to drive people mad, and even considered a realm for the dead.
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 Aug. 2026
  • An early road bout with Auburn should put him to the test, but the Commodores may be a year out from their next venture back into the realm of college football notoriety.
    Noah White, Miami Herald, 18 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Understand The Buyer’s Business Case A premium domain’s value usually depends on the buyer’s business case, not the seller’s personal attachment.
    Michael Gargiulo, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Proprietary data, application layer, domain fine tuning, agent frameworks and rigorous evaluation harnesses outlast any base model advantage.
    Mark Minevich, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Trump frequently changes course on a dime and as all the elements for the Ulchi Freedom drills are in place, scaling them back may not amount to much on the ground.
    Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Garfield, whose credits include playing Spider-Man, says he is drawn to roles with an element of play, community and the natural world.
    ABC News, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • At the same time, the kingdom’s Cultural Development Fund has earmarked fashion and beauty as priority sectors.
    Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The kingdom is starting with its underserved second-tier cities, which are often in areas that attract year-round tourism because of their cooler climate.
    Manal Albarakati, semafor.com, 20 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The rural field was used as a cemetery for around four generations in the 17th century, with a total of 101 graves from this era discovered at the site, according to Poliński.
    Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Corey Seager hit an opposite-field homer in the third inning as four Texas pitchers combined for a one-hitter.
    CBS News, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The Athletics took an early lead as Zack Gelof drew a first-inning walk, and Jonah Heim drew another to load the bases.
    CBS News, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Pirates ace Paul Skenes, the reigning National League Cy Young winner, allowed three runs in 4 1/3 innings with four walks and five strikeouts.
    ABC News, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Province.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/province. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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