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 governor of Tehran accused Israel of striking 12 areas of his province earlier in the morning, Iranian state media reported. Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 June 2025 Xi, as leader of the southern province of Guangdong, was at the forefront of that process. Joseph Torigian, Foreign Affairs, 23 June 2025 During the 11th and 12th centuries, the Netherlands’ central province of Utrecht was an important commercial center in Europe. Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 June 2025 Government officials in Turkey have also been cautioned to maintain a low profile and avoid personal travel to the country's southernmost provinces. Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 23 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for province
Recent Examples of Synonyms for province
Noun
  • Keep clear of puddles - Driving through puddles or low rainwater areas can cause vehicles to hydroplane or skid out of control Don't tail large vehicles closely - Trucks or buses can kick up a water spray that obstructs visibility.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 26 June 2025
  • Two Kansas City suburbs are home to some of the safest drivers in the country, a new report says, while other parts of the area has become substantially more risky to drive in over the last 10 years.
    Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 26 June 2025
Noun
  • Soon, each department will need to make an additional 5.5% cut, said Davenport, whose office drafts the budget and leads labor negotiations.
    Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2025
  • Investigators are asking anyone with information about the shooting to contact the department or CRIMELINE at 800-423-8477 (TIPS).
    Silas Morgan, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 June 2025
Noun
  • The first in the series, Crown of War and Shadow, introduces readers to a complex mystical realm, thrilling action sequences and a new sweeping love story.
    Rachel Raposas, People.com, 20 June 2025
  • Indeed, it’s never made anything less than a good one, with a number of them ranking in the excellent-to-stone-cold-classic realm.
    Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 20 June 2025
Noun
  • That’s the domain of humans: the executive who senses when to pivot, the founder who intuits product-market fit before the metrics appear, the storyteller who moves a room, the leader who earns trust in a single conversation.
    Dror Berman, Fortune, 27 June 2025
  • So how exactly did the former domain of couples’ massages and cucumber water become the next frontier in medicine?
    Kelsey Eisen, Robb Report, 26 June 2025
Noun
  • Working as part of a collaboration often scrubs the more human elements from the story, those moments that might be unflattering are the moments that remind people that these mythic figures of our imagination are, in fact, flawed humans, just like you and me.
    Brendan O’Meara June 23, Literary Hub, 23 June 2025
  • The third element involves moving the listing to multiple listing services, or MLS, and onto aggregation sites like Zillow.
    Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 23 June 2025
Noun
  • More than translation Spanish Jews who refused to convert in 1492, meanwhile, had been forced into exile and barred from the kingdom’s colonies.
    Flora Cassen, The Conversation, 27 June 2025
  • Over the course of 12 episodes and a sequel special, viewers see the decimation of a kingdom at the hand of a flesh-eating virus, and survivors can only fend off the undead with armor, swords, bows, and arrows.
    Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 26 June 2025
Noun
  • If gravity interacts with the Higgs field under these conditions, this interaction could change how gravity behaves.
    Victoria Corless, Space.com, 24 June 2025
  • But a college degree is not necessary to earn a good salary in some fields.
    Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 June 2025
Noun
  • Two of them scored on rally-killing double plays, one scored on a walk and one scored on a play where the back runner was thrown out at home.
    Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 30 June 2025
  • That remained the case in Sunday’s 12-5, rubber match win over the A’s, as Chisholm went 2-for-4 with four RBI, a solo homer, two runs scored and a walk while shining on defense.
    Gary Phillips, Hartford Courant, 30 June 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Province.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/province. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on province

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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