# provincial

/pɹəˈvɪnʃəɫ/ (US) · /pɹəvˈɪnʃəl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/provincial
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. regional

adjective · CEFR B2

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

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

- The provincial government announced new funding for local schools and parks.
- The candidate focused her campaign on provincial issues, promising to address the specific economic concerns of the rural districts.

### 4. religious leader

noun · CEFR C2 · Formal · Technical

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

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

- The provincial visited each monastery in the region once a year.
- After years of service, he was appointed provincial of the Jesuit order in North America.

Usage: Usually capitalized when used as a title.

## Examples

- The local newspaper focuses on provincial news and events.
- After living in the capital for a decade, he found the small-town attitudes of his relatives rather provincial.
- The author explores the tension between cosmopolitan ambitions and the stifling, provincial expectations of a rural community in the late nineteenth century.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.