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 On the other side of that equation are Chinese manufacturers like Vivi Tong in eastern Zhejiang province, who is gearing up to ship out goods from her warehouse and for a surge in orders. Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 15 May 2025 The project spent five years in development, six months in workshops and casting, and nine months filming across eight Thai provinces. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 14 May 2025 Crews are also battling massive wildfires just north of Minnesota in Canada's Manitoba and Ontario provinces. Stephen Swanson, CBS News, 14 May 2025 According to embassy figures, more than 10,000 visitors waited in a line that wrapped around the block where the country’s main diplomatic offices in the U.S. are located for a tour that focused on inland Gansu province. Russell Flannery, Forbes.com, 7 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for province
Recent Examples of Synonyms for province
Noun
  • Both have a snack bar, restrooms, and shaded eating areas.
    Rachel Chang, AFAR Media, 2 June 2025
  • Check out the National Wildlife Federation’s Native Plant Finder to help determine the right plants for your area.
    Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 2 June 2025
Noun
  • The department confirmed the person arrested was an LGBTQ activist.
    Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 31 May 2025
  • The department said each area published on Thursday will receive formal notification they are deemed noncompliant and if they are believed to be in violation of any federal criminal statutes.
    Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 May 2025
Noun
  • More definitively, the company has made significant progress across the realms of healthcare delivery and life sciences through use-cases such as advancing protein structure prediction models, optimizing medical imaging LLMs and even progressing with VR technology.
    Dr. Sai Balasubramanian, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
  • In that realm, the Padres have fared very well, not just this year but since 2021.
    Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 May 2025
Noun
  • The browser also blocked most of the domains associated with Yandex Metrica.
    Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 3 June 2025
  • Before entering the public domain, the book had already been turned into movies in 1926, 1949, 1974 (starring Robert Redford) and 2013 (directed by Baz Luhrmann) as well as several TV versions.
    Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 3 June 2025
Noun
  • This year’s finale, the show on Saturday night, no doubt will have a bittersweet element to it in the wake of the recent death of George Wendt.
    Vahe Gregorian, Kansas City Star, 30 May 2025
  • Why Bride's Family Called Wedding 'Cheap' Over Item at Reception Slammed The ability to laugh off such situations seems to be a key element of their relationship.
    Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 May 2025
Noun
  • The series ends with Simone standing outside Cliff House as the sun sets over the island, the new queen of this kingdom.
    Randall Colburn, EW.com, 23 May 2025
  • But in November 2023, the gilded walls of Combs' music kingdom came crashing down.
    Jay Stahl, USA Today, 23 May 2025
Noun
  • This nightmare scenario for 49ers fans is realistic: When Super Bowl LX is played in Santa Clara on the Niners’ field, the Rams could be representing the NFC.
    Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 May 2025
  • Additionally, the batteries can be used to power tools or other devices out in the field.
    Ben Coxworth May 31, New Atlas, 31 May 2025
Noun
  • Bri Ellis drew a walk in the bottom of the seventh with one out, but Binford struck out Day and Wyckoff to secure the victory.
    Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 26 May 2025
  • In his past two games, at Boston and Friday against the Padres, Sale allowed nine hits and two runs and had 14 strikeouts with three walks in 14 innings.
    David O'Brien, New York Times, 26 May 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Province.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/province. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on province

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!