Provincial Meaning
/pɹəˈvɪn(t)ʃəl/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
adjOf or pertaining to a province.
adjConstituting a province.
Sentence Examples
His manner marks him as a provincial.
Americans could be really provincial.
Almost all provincial and district governors are on our side.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Antonyms:
CEFR Practice Quiz
The small village held such ____ views that they rejected all modern technology.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
His ____ outlook made it difficult for him to appreciate the complexity of international affairs.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English provincial, from Old French provincial, from Latin prōvinciālis (“of a province”), equivalent to province + -ial.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"More than 100 provincial and municipal firefighters were brought in, with helicopters and aircraft used to drop water and fire retardant, while bulldozers were digging firebreaks."
— 2016 May 4, Nicky Woolf, “Fort McMurray: Canada wildfires force evacuation of oil sands city”, in The Guardian:
"[…] fond of exhibiting provincial airs and graces."
— 1856 December, [Thomas Babington] Macaulay, “Samuel Johnson”, in T[homas] F[lower] E[llis], editor, The Miscellaneous Writings and Speeches of Lord Macaulay, new edition, London: Longman, Green, Reader, & Dyer, published 1871, →OCLC:
"That awful little Cedar Whatever is no thriving megalopolis, and you people are so provincial, it's appalling."
— 2011, KD McCrite, In Front of God and Everybody:
"The Franciscan provincial Diego de Landa set up a local Inquisition which unleashed a campaign of interrogation and torture on the Indio population."
— 2009, Diarmaid MacCulloch, A History of Christianity, Penguin, published 2010, page 700:
"Or els is thys Goddis law,
Decrees or decretals,
Or holy sinodals,
Or els provincyals,
Thus within the wals
Of holy church to deale […]?"
— c. 1503–1512, John Skelton, Ware the Hauke; republished in John Scattergood, editor, John Skelton: The Complete English Poems, 1983, →OCLC, page 65, lines 130–135:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The small village held such ____ views that they rejected all modern technology.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
His ____ outlook made it difficult for him to appreciate the complexity of international affairs.