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
Colton Valentine, New Yorker, 24 Jan. 2026
Tucked into the dunes just a few hundred feet from the water is a provincial farmhouse-style holiday home belonging to Pascal, his wife, Marie-Louise, and their two teenage children.
—Katherine McGrath, Architectural Digest, 22 Jan. 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
The leftist Swedish journalist Maciej Zaremba made a similar point, accusing his fellow-progressives of an ironically provincial mind-set.
—Colton Valentine, New Yorker, 24 Jan. 2026
Tucked into the dunes just a few hundred feet from the water is a provincial farmhouse-style holiday home belonging to Pascal, his wife, Marie-Louise, and their two teenage children.
—Katherine McGrath, Architectural Digest, 22 Jan. 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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This aligns with findings from empathy research, which distinguishes between parochial empathy (caring for one’s in-group) and universal empathy (concern for all people).—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
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Working-class voters visiting a Reform clubhouse were more likely to find young professionals discussing weighty matters of foreign policy rather than parochial issues like street paving.—
Daniel Wortel-London,
Washington Post,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Pair them with boots, peasant tops, lightweight sweaters, and more.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Feb. 2026
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But these peasant farmers kill themselves because of debt, not depression.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Caudle told The Associated Press in a recent interview that his vision is to deploy smaller, newer ships when possible instead of consistently turning to huge aircraft carriers.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Feb. 2026
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The small edit stood out for its playful party spirit and the brand was instantly associated to a sense of fun and maximalism unusual in the Scandinavian fashion scene.—
Sandra Salibian,
Footwear News,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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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
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Ricky develops romantic feelings for Chad even though Russ plays him as a soft-spoken, possibly dim rural hick who may well be a literal man-child.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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But Putin was not going to launch a new war against Turkey’s rebel allies just to save a petty dictator whose own soldiers were deserting.—
Robert F. Worth,
The Atlantic,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Ruling like a petty tyrant from the company’s headquarters in lower Manhattan, Coplan isn’t an easy boss to work with, according to new reporting by the Wall Street Journal.—
Joe Wilkins Published Feb 4,
Futurism,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
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It is centred around a striking building topped with turf, a nod to Iceland’s traditional architecture, with aqueduct-like arches and an angular timber roof inside—a little Hobbit-like, a little sci-fi rustic.—
Rick Jordan,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Feb. 2026
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Neither modish nor cookie-cutter rustic in aesthetic, the hotel, tucked away off the main street in the village of Malfa, feels like a genuine home, where old framed maps, ceramics, pots, and paintings, along with other antiques, have been collected over the years.—
Rosalyn Wikeley,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Such a narrow margin means only a handful of disgruntled GOP members are needed to deal a defeat to their party leadership.—
Daniel C. Vock,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
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On that day, the moon will completely cover the sun for several minutes along a narrow path of totality that sweeps across Greenland, Iceland, and northern Spain.—
Jamie Carter,
Space.com,
13 Feb. 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 15 Feb. 2026.
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