province

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A large region of a country that has its own local government.

   Grammar: Canada, China and the Netherlands, for example, are divided into provinces.

   Patterns

   • the province of something
   • in the province

   Ontario is the most populous province in Canada.

   The flood affected several provinces in the north.

   She was born in a small town in a southern province.

2. 2nounusually pluralBritish

   The parts of a country outside the capital or major cities.

   Grammar: Always with the: the provinces. Can sound dismissive.

   Patterns

   • in the provinces
   • tour the provinces

   The theater company toured the provinces for two years.

   He moved from London to the provinces for a quieter life.

   Newspapers in the provinces covered the story differently.

3. 3nounsingularformalfigurative

   An area of knowledge, work or responsibility that belongs to a particular person or group.

   Grammar: Usually used in the pattern the province of someone.

   Patterns

   • the province of someone
   • outside someone's province

   Managing the budget is the province of the finance team.

   Poetry was once the province of the educated few.

   Medical advice is outside my province.

Word forms

Common combinations

a Canadian province

Alberta is a Canadian province known for its oil.

the province of

The decision lies within the province of the board.

provincial capital

The provincial capital is on the coast.

in the provinces

The film opened in the provinces before reaching the capital.

outside one's province

Cooking is outside my province, so ask my sister.

Synonyms and how they differ

region

Region is a looser word that can mean any large area and need not be an official division.

territory

Territory suggests land under someone's control and may not have its own government.

domain

Domain is used for an area of knowledge or control and is a good match for the figurative sense.

jurisdiction

Jurisdiction concerns legal authority over an area or matter, whereas province may only mean expertise.

Opposites

Word family

provincial adjective

relating to a province, or narrow-minded and unsophisticated

provincial noun

a person from a province or the provinces

provincialism noun

narrow-mindedness or local attitudes

provincially adverb

in a way that concerns a province

Commonly confused: province or provenance?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “province”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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