pro·vin·cial
prə-ˈvin(t)-shəl 
1
: the superior of a province of a Roman Catholic religious order
2
: one living in or coming from a province
3
a
: a person of local or restricted interests or outlook
b
: a person lacking urban polish or refinement
1
: of, relating to, or coming from a province
2
a
: limited in outlook : narrow
b
: lacking the polish of urban society : unsophisticated
3
: of or relating to a decorative style (as in furniture) marked by simplicity, informality, and relative plainness
especially
: french provincial
Synonyms
Examples of provincial in a Sentence
Noun
the confidence man figured that fleecing these provincials would be easy
Adjective
She speaks with a provincial accent.
an artist who has been criticized for being provincial and old-fashioned
His provincial attitude was a source of irritation for her.
She is too provincial to try foreign foods.
Recent Examples on the Web
Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2021
Canada’s capital is under two states of emergency, one local and another provincial.
—Washington Post, 12 Feb. 2022
After the couple petitioned the authorities in the provincial and the national capitals, Ms. Li said, the local police told them last summer that the body of an unidentified young man was their son’s.
—New York Times, 31 Jan. 2022
In Heaney, the inarticulate, the mumblers, the provincial found a powerful well source of description to draw from.
—Washington Post, 27 Jan. 2022
The China Daily newspaper said in 2016 that the party has a total of 2,900 training centers nationwide at different levels of government, ranging from county to provincial.
—Emily Wang Fujiyama, Star Tribune, 1 July 2021
The fans won on Tuesday, an indication of how their sense of ownership over clubs and their traditions can be mobilized in ways that might seem quaint and provincial in the American context.
—Hua Hsu, The New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2021
For provincials like my mother and me, Moscow meant a small break from the daily vicissitudes of late-period Soviet life.
—Anastasia Edel, The New York Review of Books, 6 Mar. 2020
Tacitus wrote of the barbarous treatment of the townspeople by the Britons, remarking that it had been reckoned that a total of 70,000 Romans and provincials were killed at Camulodunum, Londinium, and Verulamium.
—Richard Hingley, National Geographic, 22 Oct. 2019
Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2024
The German artist Georg Scholz (1890-1945) painted this picture of a small provincial village when his country was falling apart.
—Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2024
The reason, experts say, is that the provincial government has over time developed a thick network of family-friendly benefits, going far beyond the one-off bonuses for babies that the national government offers.
—Gaia Pianigiani, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2024
Davao de Oro’s provincial government said in a Facebook post that 54 people had died in the landslide, raising its previous death toll of 37 earlier in the day as rescue workers found more bodies.
—Reuters, NBC News, 11 Feb. 2024
Sceptical economists like Diego Giacomini suggest this budget surplus is absolutely unsustainable without underlying reforms which have been ruled out by the level of bellicosity between the Executive, the legislative branch and the provincial governments.
—Agustino Fontevecchia, Forbes, 30 Mar. 2024
The Limpopo provincial government said a bus traveling from the neighboring country of Botswana to the town of Moria for a popular Easter pilgrimage, rode off the side of the Mmamatlakala bridge, plunging approximately 164 feet into a ravine and bursting into flames.
—Lawrence Richard, Fox News, 29 Mar. 2024
Sichuan Trust, the Sichuan provincial government and the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission did not respond to faxed and emailed requests for comment.
—Dake Kang, Quartz, 13 Mar. 2024
About 93 fires left over from last year have continued to burn underground through the winter in British Columbia, while 55 are burning in Alberta, according to their provincial governments.
—Ian Austen, New York Times, 4 Mar. 2024
Noun
It’s shaped like a classic coming-of-age tale: a young provincial, Eloise Turner (Thomasin McKenzie), goes to the metropolis to realize her dreams and, in the process, has her illusions dispelled.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2021
Canada’s capital is under two states of emergency, one local and another provincial.
—Washington Post, 12 Feb. 2022
After the couple petitioned the authorities in the provincial and the national capitals, Ms. Li said, the local police told them last summer that the body of an unidentified young man was their son’s.
—New York Times, 31 Jan. 2022
In Heaney, the inarticulate, the mumblers, the provincial found a powerful well source of description to draw from.
—Washington Post, 27 Jan. 2022
The China Daily newspaper said in 2016 that the party has a total of 2,900 training centers nationwide at different levels of government, ranging from county to provincial.
—Emily Wang Fujiyama, Star Tribune, 1 July 2021
The fans won on Tuesday, an indication of how their sense of ownership over clubs and their traditions can be mobilized in ways that might seem quaint and provincial in the American context.
—Hua Hsu, The New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2021
For provincials like my mother and me, Moscow meant a small break from the daily vicissitudes of late-period Soviet life.
—Anastasia Edel, The New York Review of Books, 6 Mar. 2020
Tacitus wrote of the barbarous treatment of the townspeople by the Britons, remarking that it had been reckoned that a total of 70,000 Romans and provincials were killed at Camulodunum, Londinium, and Verulamium.
—Richard Hingley, National Geographic, 22 Oct. 2019
Adjective
Ironically, in a sport as provincial as baseball, Sacramento (metro population 2.4 million) might even be a more viable market than Las Vegas.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2024
The German artist Georg Scholz (1890-1945) painted this picture of a small provincial village when his country was falling apart.
—Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2024
The reason, experts say, is that the provincial government has over time developed a thick network of family-friendly benefits, going far beyond the one-off bonuses for babies that the national government offers.
—Gaia Pianigiani, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2024
Davao de Oro’s provincial government said in a Facebook post that 54 people had died in the landslide, raising its previous death toll of 37 earlier in the day as rescue workers found more bodies.
—Reuters, NBC News, 11 Feb. 2024
Sceptical economists like Diego Giacomini suggest this budget surplus is absolutely unsustainable without underlying reforms which have been ruled out by the level of bellicosity between the Executive, the legislative branch and the provincial governments.
—Agustino Fontevecchia, Forbes, 30 Mar. 2024
The Limpopo provincial government said a bus traveling from the neighboring country of Botswana to the town of Moria for a popular Easter pilgrimage, rode off the side of the Mmamatlakala bridge, plunging approximately 164 feet into a ravine and bursting into flames.
—Lawrence Richard, Fox News, 29 Mar. 2024
Sichuan Trust, the Sichuan provincial government and the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission did not respond to faxed and emailed requests for comment.
—Dake Kang, Quartz, 13 Mar. 2024
About 93 fires left over from last year have continued to burn underground through the winter in British Columbia, while 55 are burning in Alberta, according to their provincial governments.
—Ian Austen, New York Times, 4 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'provincial.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun
in sense 1, from Middle English, from Anglo-French or Medieval Latin; Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin provincialis, from provincia ecclesiastical province; in other senses, from Latin provincialis, from provincia province
First Known Use
Noun
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Adjective
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of provincial was
in the 14th century
Phrases Containing provincial
Dictionary Entries Near provincial
Cite this Entry
“Provincial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/provincial. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
provincial
1 of 2 noun
pro·vin·cial
prə-ˈvin-chəl
1
: a person living in or coming from a province
2
: a provincial person
provincial
2 of 2 adjective1
: of, relating to, or coming from a province
2
a
: limited in outlook : narrow
b
: lacking the ways and manners of city people
3
: of or relating to a style (as in furniture) marked by simple design and plain decoration
a French provincial table
provinciality
noun
-ˌvin-chē-ˈal-ət-ē
More from Merriam-Webster on provincial
Nglish: Translation of provincial for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of provincial for Arabic Speakers
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share