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 South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missile launches originated from the North's southwestern Hwanghae province and landed in the Yellow Sea west of the Korean Peninsula. William Lambers, Newsweek, 10 Mar. 2025 British Columbia is particularly sensitive to an extended trade war, with 65% to 70% of its exports going to the U.S. and other provinces are in similar situations, Kahlon said. Josh Fellman, Quartz, 10 Mar. 2025 The two Kivu provinces contain vast deposits of these minerals that could be used in applications from defense and AI to green energy. Paul Tilsley, Fox News, 9 Mar. 2025 Lined by ocean beaches, the region is known as a summer vacation destination, cultural province and site of mansions owned by business executives and entertainers. Dade Hayes, Deadline, 9 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for province
Recent Examples of Synonyms for province
Noun
  • Machado, a 38-year-old man from Manassas, was stopped by ICE agents while on his way to work in an area where large-scale immigration operations were ongoing.
    Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 10 Mar. 2025
  • An adjacent dining area has a custom wet bar concealed behind closet doors.
    Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 10 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Weiss, the team’s quarterbacks coach and co-offensive coordinator, was originally put on leave in January 2023 while the school’s police department investigated unspecified computer access crimes.
    David Matthews, New York Daily News, 21 Mar. 2025
  • Ali Adamson, a spokesperson for the police department.
    Angie DiMichele, Sun Sentinel, 20 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • One reason Miéville attracts this kind of discussion is because his work puts him in the realm of authors like Ursula K. Le Guin, Samuel Delaney and William Gibson, who trade in big ideas rather than genre tropes.
    Rob Salkowitz, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
  • The first film saw the Outworld sorcerer Shang Tsung (Chin Han) and his forces attempt to wipe out Earth's champions before the big Mortal Kombat tournament between fighters from different realms.
    Nick Romano, EW.com, 17 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The Legislature doesn’t have control over property taxes, which are the domain of local governments.
    Alexandra Glorioso, Miami Herald, 11 Mar. 2025
  • Like Pac-Man, this domain closes around reactants and reopens to release products.
    Priyanka Naik, The Conversation, 7 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The best among them can turn the disparate elements of theater into something seamlessly whole.
    Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2025
  • The salt accord therefore brings in that human, animalistic element but in a much lighter way.
    Sophia Panych, Allure, 19 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • In a kingdom where beauty is a brutal business, Elvira will compete with the beautiful and enchanting Agnes to become the belle of the ball.
    Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 13 Mar. 2025
  • By 1953, as decolonization swept the world, the Danish government, loath to give up ninety-eight per cent of its landmass, made Greenland a semi-autonomous part of its kingdom but retained de-facto control.
    Louise Bokkenheuser, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Ellie McCuskey-Hay, St. Ignatius track and field: McCuskey-Hay won three events for SI in a dual meet against Presentation on Tuesday.
    Christian Babcock, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2025
  • Subdivisions are often built on old, exhausted agricultural fields.
    Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • He’s minimized the walks, partly due to his willingness to use his curveball early in counts for strikes to get ahead and grab count leverage.
    Fabian Ardaya, The Athletic, 14 Mar. 2025
  • These recipes, nostalgic as well as filling, are like a walk down memory lane with every bite.
    Mary Alice Russell, Southern Living, 14 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Province.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/province. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

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