province

noun

ˈprä-vən(t)s How to pronounce province (audio)
Definition of provincenext
as in area
a region of activity, knowledge, or influence a legal question outside the doctor's province

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 Teen use of cannabis rose 26% in Canadian provinces that legalized the sale of edibles and extracts in October 2019, according to the study, which published Friday in the journal JAMA Network Open. —Kameryn Griesser, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2025 Thursday’s strike hit the port of Ras Isa, also in Hodeida province, killing 74 people and wounding 171 others, according to the Houthi-run health ministry. —Samy Magdy, Chicago Tribune, 19 Apr. 2025 Cargo ships and containers at Qingdao port in eastern China’s Shandong province on Dec. 4, 2024. —Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 16 Apr. 2025 Meanwhile, the virus has been detected in sewage samples around the country this year, including in Punjab province, home to around half of Pakistan's children. —Ruchi Kumar, NPR, 16 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for province
Recent Examples of Synonyms for province
  1. area
  2. department
  3. realm
  4. domain
  5. element
  6. kingdom
  7. field
  8. walk
Noun
  • The Jones Road Wildfire was first spotted at approximately 9:45 a.m. on April 22 in the Greenwood Wildlife Management area in Waretown, New Jersey, officials said.
    — Megan Forrester, ABC News, 27 Apr. 2025
  • The floor plan also accommodates a living room area with space for a couch, coffee table, floor lamp, and more.
    — Toni Sutton, People.com, 27 Apr. 2025
Definition of area
Noun
  • Hegseth ordered each military department to review its military Equal Opportunity (EO) and civilian Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) programs, according to a memo dated Thursday and released Friday.
    — Ellen Mitchell, The Hill, 25 Apr. 2025
  • Dugan’s criminal complaint shows she has been charged with concealing an individual to prevent his discovery and arrest, and obstructing or impeding a proceeding before a federal department or agency.
    — Kevin Breuninger,Dan Mangan, CNBC, 25 Apr. 2025
Definition of department
Noun
  • Yet in our increasingly digital world, the tangible nature of oracle and tarot decks offers a rare form of material connection—something to hold, shuffle, and physically engage with outside the digital realm.
    — Michaela Trimble, Vogue, 21 Apr. 2025
  • Aimee used the medium of transmitting sound to establish a new realm of spirituality.
    — Claire Hoffman, Rolling Stone, 20 Apr. 2025
Definition of realm
Noun
  • With this in mind, the startup costs listed below automatically assume that your website and domain are included.
    — Rachel Wells, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025
  • The character is due to enter the public domain in 2034.
    — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 25 Apr. 2025
Definition of domain
Noun
  • Francis funeral less lavish but keeps some traditions Francis wanted a less opulent burial than is traditional for popes and made changes to the church's book on funeral rites, but some of the usual elements remain in place.
    — Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2025
  • The United States intends to press Russia to formally acknowledge Ukraine's right to maintain its own military and defense industry as a core element of any future peace deal between Moscow and Kyiv, people familiar with the negotiations told Bloomberg News.
    — Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Apr. 2025
Definition of element
Noun
  • At times Oman can seem hidden away from the world, a glittering white kingdom by a sapphire sea, governed by a benevolent monarch.
    — Chris Wallace, Travel + Leisure, 15 Apr. 2025
  • History has seen the rise and fall of countless empires, from Ghengis Khan’s Mongol Empire to the kingdom of Assyria.
    — Rosie McCall, Discover Magazine, 8 Apr. 2025
Definition of kingdom
Noun
  • Once both players are on the field, Reid envisions a healthy competition for playing time and invaluable depth.
    — Mike Jones, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2025
  • He was blamed for going off mission, and putting his unit and others in the field at risk.
    — Colin Jones, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2025
Definition of field
Noun
  • Arkansas 11, Texas A&M 5 — End 8th Inning Justin Thomas drew a 1-out walk and scored his third run in the eighth inning on Wehiwa Aloy's second RBI, a fielder's choice.
    — Matt Jones, Arkansas Online, 18 Apr. 2025
  • Baty has more extra-base hits and more pop in his bat, while Acuña draws more walks.
    — Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 18 Apr. 2025
Definition of walk

Browse Nearby Words

providing (for)
province
provinces
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Province.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/province. Accessed 2 May. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on province

Nglish: Translation of province for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about province

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