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 On the other side of that equation are Chinese manufacturers like Vivi Tong in eastern Zhejiang province, who is gearing up to ship out goods from her warehouse and for a surge in orders. Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 15 May 2025 The project spent five years in development, six months in workshops and casting, and nine months filming across eight Thai provinces. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 14 May 2025 Crews are also battling massive wildfires just north of Minnesota in Canada's Manitoba and Ontario provinces. Stephen Swanson, CBS News, 14 May 2025 According to embassy figures, more than 10,000 visitors waited in a line that wrapped around the block where the country’s main diplomatic offices in the U.S. are located for a tour that focused on inland Gansu province. Russell Flannery, Forbes.com, 7 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for province
Recent Examples of Synonyms for province
Noun
  • On May 8, a hunter discovered human remains on Cedar Mountain, and after alerting authorities about the finding, law enforcement responded to the area and retrieved them, the Kane County Sheriff's Office reported this week.
    Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 22 May 2025
  • The whale had, at most, 180 retinal ganglion cells per square millimeter; humans, meanwhile, have up to about 40,000 in the same area.
    Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 May 2025
Noun
  • Prioritize Communication With Department Heads Prioritizing strong relationships and consistent communication with department heads can help.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
  • Then, there was no mass exodus, department veterans say.
    Ryan Lucas, NPR, 19 May 2025
Noun
  • Until recently, China's entries in the realm of spaceflight patches often lacked the originality found in patches from the West.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 17 May 2025
  • Still, the show’s tone offers audiences something atypical in the realm of sci-fi action.
    Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 16 May 2025
Noun
  • As described, Golden Dome would use the sensors in a layered approach in which they are installed on a variety of platforms in multiple domains, including ground, sea, air and space.
    Iain Boyd, The Conversation, 22 May 2025
  • In the 10,000 sample records there were 220 email addresses with .gov domains.
    Matt Burgess, Wired News, 22 May 2025
Noun
  • The common element is that a single federal judge in one of 94 regional districts paused a policy for the entire country while the case is being litigated.
    Bart Jansen, USA Today, 18 May 2025
  • Meanwhile, a personal tragedy shakes Colin into consciousness, the only element that manages to pierce Ray’s exterior long enough to let his sub in.
    Glenn Garner, Deadline, 18 May 2025
Noun
  • The series ends with Simone standing outside Cliff House as the sun sets over the island, the new queen of this kingdom.
    Randall Colburn, EW.com, 23 May 2025
  • But in November 2023, the gilded walls of Combs' music kingdom came crashing down.
    Jay Stahl, USA Today, 23 May 2025
Noun
  • Rahm’s score of 5 over on the Green Mile was the second worst of any player in the field Sunday.
    Justin Ray, New York Times, 19 May 2025
  • In any field, whether that be policy, education, or business, Susan’s approach can yield great benefits, simply by broadening our perspectives and encouraging adaptability.
    Karl Moore, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
Noun
  • In his past two games, at Boston and Friday against the Padres, Sale allowed nine hits and two runs and had 14 strikeouts with three walks in 14 innings.
    David O'Brien, New York Times, 26 May 2025
  • Bri Ellis drew a walk in the bottom of the seventh with one out, but Binford struck out Day and Wyckoff to secure the victory.
    Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 26 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Province.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/province. Accessed 28 May. 2025.

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