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 Recent weeks have witnessed a surge in cases, with two new health zones affected last week in North Kivu, where the fatality rate is much higher than in the rest of the affected provinces. Constant Same Bagalwa, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026 In the city of Larkana, in Sindh province, 494 children were diagnosed with HIV. Betsy Joles, NPR, 2 Sep. 2026 The security officers at the towers, on the other hand, are almost all migrant workers from other provinces. Jonathan Flint, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 2026 At the heart of the Shein model is a vast network of contract manufacturers based in the southern province of Guangdong, in particular Guangzhou’s Panyu and Haizhu Districts — home to one of the world’s most dynamic manufacturing hubs. Denni Hu, Footwear News, 1 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for province
Recent Examples of Synonyms for province
Noun
  • The rain could trigger flash flooding and mudslides, particularly in mountainous areas.
    Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2026
  • The encouraging part for Liverpool is that Brughmans already has the physical tools to improve in this area, most notably a pair of enormous hands.
    Matt Pyzdrowski, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • At one point in the third quarter of South Carolina’s shutout win, athletic director Jeremiah Donati and other athletic department staffers were handing out free water bottles to fans.
    Christopher Kamrani, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
  • States are passing laws requiring their education departments to create such guidance; Maryland, Idaho, Oklahoma and Virginia all added new laws this year, reported K-12 Dive.
    Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The film imagines a colorful, family-friendly realm concealed just under the surface of video games themselves, populated by a covert guild of guardians tasked with keeping each title operating and preserving every player’s journey.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 1 Sep. 2026
  • This year’s whirlwind press tours, however, have brought standout footwear looks both within and beyond her realm of quintessential stiletto pumps.
    Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 1 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Money needs to be poured into algorithmic domain diversification.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The global food system is afflicted by uncertainty across many domains—weather, supply chains, labor, trade, and beyond.
    Anna Nelson, Foreign Affairs, 4 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The third-year wide receiver brings such a different element to the New York offense.
    Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Both pairs were wise choices for the colder Telluride weather, keeping both parties’ feet warm and dry, protected from the elements.
    Amina Ayoud, Footwear News, 6 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • In the days since, a flood of deals have been announced to bring Chinese robotaxis, laptops, AI models, and data centers to the kingdom — while putting the competition for tech dominance between China and the US into stark relief.
    Kelsey Warner, semafor.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The king arbitrarily gives up his power and divides his kingdom among his children.
    Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The utility company says more than 2,600 storm response workers are working to restore power, with another 800 field workers from outside Michigan on the way to assist.
    Natalie Davies, Freep.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Malkovich is considered by prognosticators to be firmly in the mix in what is a very competitive best actor category this awards season with Matt Damon, Tom Cruise, Robert Pattinson, Andrew Scott, Sebastian Stan and Javier Bardem among a deep field.
    Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 3 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • While most of us are capable of lifting weights or heading outside for a brisk walk each day, not everyone is so fortunate, leading researchers to consider other ways to encourage muscles to produce plenty of hormones.
    Mike McRae September 02, New Atlas, 3 Sep. 2026
  • That doesn’t mean missing a few walks will suddenly harm your health.
    Kristen Gasnick, Verywell Health, 2 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Province.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/province. Accessed 8 Sep. 2026.

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