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 Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo spread to a sixth province as the overall death toll surpassed 2,100 and cases topped 4,500. Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 14 Aug. 2026 First detected in the eastern KwaZulu-Natal province in 2012 before the first official case was documented in 2017, the beetle has been identified in all but one of the country’s nine territories. Jack Bantock, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026 To properly rebalance, Beijing would need to reconstruct the fiscal model on which every province and municipality depends, accept the resulting collapse in local government revenues, and absorb mass layoffs. Michael B. G. Froman, Foreign Affairs, 13 Aug. 2026 Since then, other researchers have examined grouse food habits in the Maritime provinces and the Virginias, and in New England, Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota and Washington. Tom Huggler, Outdoor Life, 13 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
  • All of them are concerned with legacy, particularly among fathers and daughters (Shakespeare had two and lost his only son), and all of them touch a realm beyond the mundane — a place of gods and dreams, oracles and enchantment.
    Sara Holdren, Vulture, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The fantastical realm is filled with the same zombie-like enemies from the first demo.
    Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 11 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Then the criminals set up malicious websites on the fake domains.
    David Berreby, IEEE Spectrum, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Identify one high-frequency, high-stakes domain where sales, AP, AR or Treasury currently optimize independently.
    Carsten Polenz, Fortune, 13 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
  • The kingdom has faced increasing attacks from the Houthis, who also declared a blockade on the al-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea on July 20.
    Tim Lister, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Belle and the Beast will have to not only find their way back to their own love, but also help the princess find hers in order to lift the curse from the kingdom and return home.
    Todd Spangler, Variety, 15 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Binface, a serial candidate who has challenged prime ministers past and present, became the default challenger in a field of 34 candidates after the major parties boycotted the campaign as a political stunt by Farage.
    ABC News, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Arctic dreams Russian President Vladimir Putin has long envisioned the 3,500-mile route along Russia’s jagged Arctic coastline becoming a major artery for trade – and a driver of investment in Russian ports and oil and gas fields.
    Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Tatis, reading the moment well in just his third pinch-hitting appearance this year, earned a four-pitch walk.
    Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Their deep lineup made Kent work, drawing five walks in four-plus innings against the 23-year-old.
    Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Province.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/province. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on province

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!