English Reference
adjective · noun

provincial

adj. · n.
US /pɹəˈvɪnʃəɫ/ UK /pɹəvˈɪnʃəl/ pro·vin·cial

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate

    adj.related to a province or a specific area of a country rather than the capital city.

    adj.pertaining to a province or an administrative subdivision of a country; often used to distinguish regional matters from national or metropolitan ones.

    Simple

    The provincial government announced new funding for local schools and parks.

    In context

    The candidate focused her campaign on provincial issues, promising to address the specific economic concerns of the rural districts.

  2. 02 C2 Proficiency FormalTechnical Religion

    n.a high-ranking member of a religious group who is in charge of a specific area.

    n.a monastic superior who has the direction of all the religious houses of an order within a specific district.

    Simple

    The provincial visited each monastery in the region once a year.

    In context

    After years of service, he was appointed provincial of the Jesuit order in North America.

    Usage

    Usually capitalized when used as a title.

Usage provincial government

But locals worry that greater care will be paid to major provincial capitals like Pereira and Cali, as opposed to areas with higher levels of poverty, like their city.

Al Jazeera· 15 Aug 2026

Regional, provincial, and municipal authorities have begun publicising observation points across the country which will not only have good viewing, but will also be able to accommodate visitors.

The Local· 11 Aug 2026

From Middle English provincial, from Old French provincial, from Latin prōvinciālis (“of a province”), equivalent to province + -ial.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Latin prōvinciālis
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Common
Updated