as in parochial
not broad or open in views or opinions
some people regard a fear of new things as an unmistakable sign of a provincial attitude
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in peasant
an awkward or simple person especially from a small town or the country
the confidence man figured that fleecing these provincials would be easy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of provincial
Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2026
Young Alfred Tennyson grew up in a similarly provincial bit of England, tucked away in his father’s vicarage on a remote part of the east coast of England in a village of fewer than a hundred souls.
—Kathryn Hughes, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026
Caitlin McFall, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2025
Not long after his ordination, he was named the Jesuit provincial for Argentina, which put him in charge of the order’s activities throughout the country.
—Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for provincial
Adjective
Williams, whose studio is based in London, said for Spring-Summer 2026 she was inspired by the provincial clothes of factory workers, housekeepers and nurses.
—Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2026
Young Alfred Tennyson grew up in a similarly provincial bit of England, tucked away in his father’s vicarage on a remote part of the east coast of England in a village of fewer than a hundred souls.
—Kathryn Hughes, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026
Noun
The same year, he was appointed as a provincial for the order.
—Caitlin McFall, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2025
Not long after his ordination, he was named the Jesuit provincial for Argentina, which put him in charge of the order’s activities throughout the country.
—Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for provincial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for provincial
Adjective
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Research shows the disparity between vaccination coverage in private and parochial/religious versus public schools is that private and parochial/religious schools tend to have higher rates of exemptions to vaccinations for moral and religious beliefs.—
Kar-Hai Chu,
The Conversation,
10 Apr. 2026
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But quietly, the third-year forward had put himself in position for a more parochial reserve reward, one that caught him unaware.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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His paternal grandparents were peasants in Transylvania; his maternal grandparents were also peasants, and his grandmother was illiterate.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
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Like my own personal Cinderella moment, I’ve been turned from a peasant into a princess.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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It was found [that] the actual tumor was pretty small.—
Meredith Wilshere,
PEOPLE,
18 Apr. 2026
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Then, the family says two others broke through a small window, manhandled their dogs and stole priceless mementos handed down through their family over generations, along with the cash.—
Nicole Comstock,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
Noun
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So a bunch of hicks from Topeka were left up to our own devices of going down to Robert Hall and finding something that might be kind of cool.—
Devon Ivie,
Vulture,
8 Apr. 2026
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Which is to say, this isn’t the story of a greedy, materialistic man who suffers a crisis of conscience while trying to pry a priceless treasure away from an uneducated hick who doesn’t know any better.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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There are some pretty gross, petty and violent acts of revenge.—
Yvonne Villarreal,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
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What is the pettiest thing that annoys you during a race weekend?—
Jeff Gluck,
New York Times,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Cozy rustic Certain styles readily lend themselves to small spaces.—
Rachel Davies,
Architectural Digest,
15 Apr. 2026
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Full of hearty flavors and filling vegetables, this rustic, comforting dinner comes together swiftly thanks to your slow cooker.—
Jenna Sims,
Southern Living,
4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The shape of a pot affects drainage, with taller, narrower pots draining better than shorter, wider ones.—
Paul Cappiello,
Louisville Courier Journal,
17 Apr. 2026
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The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, previously handled about 20 percent of the world’s oil shipments.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Part of his way of taking it yokel — besides bringing in Foo Fighter Rami Jaffee on accordion and Willie Aron blowing harmonica — was to add a previously unheard yodel to the chorus.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
27 Oct. 2025
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It was adapted into a huge hit movie starring Claudette Colbert and Fred MacMurray, but the breakout characters were local yokels Ma and Pa Kettle, who went on to star in eight spinoff movies.—
Brian Boone,
Vulture,
18 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Provincial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/provincial. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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