province

[ prov-ins ]

noun

1. an administrative division or unit of a country.
2. the provinces,
   1. the parts of a country outside of the capital or the largest cities.
   2. (in England) all parts of the country outside of London.
3. a country, territory, district, or region.
4. Geography. physiographic province.
5. a department or branch of learning or activity:

   the province of mathematics.

   Synonyms: area

6. sphere or field of activity or authority, as of a person; office, function, or business:

   Such decisions do not lie within his province.

7. a major subdivision of British India.
8. an ecclesiastical territorial division, as that within which an archbishop or a metropolitan exercises jurisdiction.
9. History/Historical.
   1. any of the North American colonies now forming major administrative divisions of Canada.
   2. any of certain colonies of Great Britain which are now part of the U.S.
10. Roman History. a country or territory outside of Italy, brought under the ancient Roman dominion and administered by a governor sent from Rome.
11. Mining. an individual mineral-producing area.

province

/ ˈprɒvɪns /

noun

1. a territory governed as a unit of a country or empire
2. a district, territory, or region
3. the provinces
   plural those parts of a country lying outside the capital and other large cities and regarded as outside the mainstream of sophisticated culture
4. ecology a subdivision of a region, characterized by a particular fauna and flora
5. an area or branch of learning, activity, etc
6. the field or extent of a person's activities or office
7. RC Church Church of England an ecclesiastical territory, usually consisting of several dioceses, and having an archbishop or metropolitan at its head
8. a major administrative and territorial subdivision of a religious order
9. history a region of the Roman Empire outside Italy ruled by a governor from Rome

Other Words From

• sub·province noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of province¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin prōvincia “province, official charge”

Word History and Origins

Origin of province¹

C14: from Old French, from Latin prōvincia conquered territory

Example Sentences

Class-action lawsuits have been won or are underway in several Canadian provinces for abuse of rights in psychiatric wards.

From Salon

Jenny - a senior high school student in China’s Anhui province – says she set her sights on Australia because getting a good quality education there is "easier" than getting into a fiercely competitive Chinese university.

From BBC

"We are terrified of the typhoon, as it may intensify and the waters can rise," she told the AFP news agency from a shelter in the eastern Albay province.

From BBC

The miners have been in a mineshaft in Stilfontein, in the North West province, for about a month.

From BBC

I believe he will kneecap the White House Correspondents Association, by ignoring our recommendations and requests and possibly taking over assignment of seats in the Brady Briefing Room — traditionally the province of the WHCA.

From Salon

Related Words

• colony
• county
• department
• district
• part
• region
• territory
• zone