provincial 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of provincialnext
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

provincial

2 of 2

noun

prə-ˈvin(t)-shəl How to pronounce provincial (audio)
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 provincial
Adjective
Nosherwani expressed condolences to relatives of the victims and said the provincial government would pay compensation of about $1,800 to the family of each miner killed in the blast. — Abdul Sattar, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026 Since 2000, at least 17 people have died in Canadian immigration detention custody, most in provincial jails, according to the advocacy group Human Rights Watch. — Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 29 July 2026
Noun
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 The same year, he was appointed as a provincial for the order. — Caitlin McFall, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for provincial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for provincial
  1. parochial
  2. peasant
  3. small
  4. hick
  5. petty
  6. yokel
  7. narrow
  8. clown
Adjective
  • Several residents who spoke at the meetings characterized the opposition as a vocal minority of residents who have fixated on a few mostly parochial issues.
    — John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 1 Aug. 2026
  • All but one, Pulaski Academy in Little Rock, were either parochial or had some religious affiliation.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 25 July 2026
Definition of parochial
Noun
  • The police suspect Juggut Singh, a Sikh peasant with a criminal record who, on the night of the killing, was secretly meeting Nooran, the daughter of a Muslim priest and weaver.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 July 2026
  • While any peasant blouse or billowy eyelet top will do the trick, there’s something so romantic and eye-catching about an asymmetrical shirt with black jorts.
    — Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 23 July 2026
Definition of peasant
Adjective
  • These vines will also happily wind their way around tree trunks and shrubs and fix themselves in place with small rootlets that take on a hairy appearance as poison ivy plants mature.
    — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Tidy a corner and play a favorite song, letting a small routine remind everyone that care comes through simple, repeatable acts.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of small
Noun
  • When Johnson was vice president and visiting Europe, there were reports filed by these British ambassadors in several countries that basically made fun of him as a hick.
    — Wendy Naugle, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2026
  • 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
Definition of hick
Adjective
  • The show finds ways to expose the worst in its characters, their pettiest, most vengeful, greediest parts.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Beyond petty crime, the department warned that Belgium remains at risk for terrorist attacks and related activity.
    — Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of petty
Noun
  • It was left to the feds in Boston to arrest Farwell, after Meatball’s local yokels adamantly refused to do anything other than try to broom the crime by one of their own.
    — Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 26 Apr. 2026
  • 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
Definition of yokel
Adjective
  • The narrow waterway passing between Iran and Oman serves as the main route for shipping crude from oil-rich countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Kuwait to the rest of the world.
    — Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026
  • The fighting has severely disrupted shipping through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, a narrow maritime choke point that typically handles around a fifth of the world's oil and natural gas.
    — Sam Meredith, CNBC, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of narrow
Noun
  • An Illinois teen has been charged with first-degree murder after allegedly committing a deadly stabbing attack while dressed in a clown outfit.
    — Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Tyquan Thornton Tyquan Thornton is not only known for being a speedster, with one of the fastest combine times in history, but a class clown as well.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of clown

Browse Nearby Words

provinces
provincial
provincialism
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Cite this Entry

“Provincial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/provincial. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

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