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 In April 2020, 22 people were killed in a 12-hour shooting rampage that touched multiple cities in the eastern province of Nova Scotia, Canadian news outlet CBC News reported. CBS News, 11 Feb. 2026 Last year, the president’s administration held meetings with a separatist group in the Canadian province of Alberta that seeks to get a referendum on the ballot later this year to withdraw from the nation. Nbc News, NBC news, 11 Feb. 2026 Tech company Qicaihong has gone further, expanding from China’s Silicon Valley, Shenzhen, to a very rural part of Yunnan province to standardize local corn production for bigger markets. Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 11 Feb. 2026 Sergio Carmona, an IT consultant, lives in Castilla y León in Soria, the country’s least densely populated province. Ryan Craggs, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for province
Recent Examples of Synonyms for province
Noun
  • AccuWeather forecasters warned that the risk of thunderstorms in northern portions of the Central Valley, along with coastal Southern California, could trigger flash flooding and tornadoes in some areas.
    Doyle Rice, USA Today, 17 Feb. 2026
  • The 30-year-old Somali American, who also co-owns a Mediterranean restaurant in the same area experiencing similar economic tribulations, described his coffee shops as local melting pots for Muslims and non-Muslims, East Africans and White people.
    Yahya Salem, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • The department has been aggressively going after states that handed out commercial driver’s licenses to immigrants who shouldn’t have qualified for them ever since a fatal crash in August.
    Josh Funk, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2026
  • This respiratory season, the city of Chicago has seen the highest levels of emergency department visits and hospitalizations from flu since 2022.
    Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN Money, 19 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • The conclusion that emerges is that transatlantic slavery was foundational, and known to be so, during the westward expansion of the British royal realm.
    Sam Knight, New Yorker, 16 Feb. 2026
  • There’s a wonderful landscape to wander through in that realm of what’s over here.
    Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 15 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Integrating unmanned logistics The Army continues to expand its use of unmanned systems across air and ground domains.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 Feb. 2026
  • There are no better CEOs in the nation than in the airline industry – in operational, financial, strategic domains and their individual characters are sterling.
    Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 16 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • One missing element was what would be left behind after the cuts.
    Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
  • Other varieties provide additional design elements such as interesting bark, colorful fruits, and fabulous fall foliage to enhance the garden all year long.
    Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 18 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • The other, a long robe traditional to the men of his desert kingdom.
    Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 14 Feb. 2026
  • The finding has implications outside the insect kingdom.
    Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Norway has recently produced Olympic champions in beach volleyball and several in track and field – two quintessentially summer sports.
    Don Riddell, CNN Money, 22 Feb. 2026
  • The slide path was estimated to be roughly the length of a football field.
    Michael McGough, Sacbee.com, 22 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Larger groups might be interested in the Grove Lodge, a short walk from the Mountain House, which has six individual rooms and a great foyer that can be booked for one group stay or individually.
    Katie Mathews, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Feb. 2026
  • Time to get out of the car and take a mind-clearing walk.
    Lois K. Solomon, Sun Sentinel, 16 Feb. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Province.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/province. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.

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!