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 The phenomenon will be visible to some spectators in some areas in Maine as well as parts of Canada, specifically in the New Brunswick province and Quebec, the outlets reported. Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2025 Carney said the premiers of Canada’s provinces had agreed to work on a plan to develop a national trade and energy corridor in an effort to diversify trade. Rob Gillies, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 2025 Russia said its air defenses intercepted 57 Ukrainian drones over the Azov Sea and several Russian regions -- the border provinces of Kursk and Bryansk and the nearby regions of Oryol and Tula. arkansasonline.com, 20 Mar. 2025 However, such a move risks escalating tensions with the Trump administration and would likely face strong opposition from Canada’s oil-producing provinces. Mexico, heavily reliant on U.S. energy imports, lacks comparable leverage. Dan Eberhart, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for province
Recent Examples of Synonyms for province
Noun
  • Team 2 will survey the area associated with the tornado near Greenville.
    Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 3 Apr. 2025
  • Haywood’s answer is that businesses should focus on areas where AI can drive the most impact, such as scaling support, personalizing interactions, or streamlining operations.
    Kolawole Samuel Adebayo, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The African American architect from Philadelphia, who died in 1950 at age 68, was the first Black graduate from the University of Pennsylvania’s architecture department and would ultimately become cohead of the renowned Horace Trumbauer firm.
    Evan Nicole Brown, Architectural Digest, 1 Apr. 2025
  • That in itself makes the department venture a waste of time and money, as well as a danger to public health.
    Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The medicine wheel represents the interconnectivity of all aspects of one's being, and the continuous interaction of the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual realms.
    Roger Sands, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Higher education is a realm in which the United States still sets the global standard.
    Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 9 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • By the time defenders block one address or domain, new ones have already been assigned.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 4 Apr. 2025
  • The nuanced understanding of consumer emotions, tonality, and sentiment—critical elements for brand building—remain domains where human insight currently outperforms AI capabilities.
    Josipa Majic Predin, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • When building or updating a home, lean into timeless and traditional elements.
    Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 31 Mar. 2025
  • As Verbeek changed back into her street clothes, the conversation turned to other elements of the wedding, which was going to be held, in eleven months, at the former estate of the sculptor Daniel Chester French, in the Berkshires.
    Adam Iscoe, New Yorker, 31 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Some franchise will hand her the keys to its kingdom.
    Marcus Thompson II, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2025
  • The kingdom has been roundly criticized for its repressive treatment of women, who only gained the right to drive in 2018.
    Blythe Lawrence, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Grimes scored in bunches against the Knicks on Tuesday and finished with a team-high 26 points on 8-of-18 shooting from the field, 1-of-6 shooting from the three-point line and 9-of-10 from the foul line.
    Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 2 Apr. 2025
  • But Monday night in the 120-94 victory that extended the Heat’s winning streak to a season-best five in a row, the second-year forward out of UCLA was 6 of 9 from the field and 2 of 2 on 3-pointers.
    Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 1 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Trevor Smith Granite Hills | Baseball Smith reached base nine times in three Lions Tournament games, finishing with a pair of doubles, three RBIs and five walks.
    Steve Brand, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Apr. 2025
  • The Cubs drew three walks against Padres starter Nick Pivetta, including Tucker’s run-scoring walk with the bases loaded in the second inning.
    Sean Hammond, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Province.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/province. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.

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