1. A territory governed as an administrative or political unit of a country or empire.
2. A division of territory under the jurisdiction of an archbishop.
3. provinces Areas of a country situated away from the capital or population center.
4. A comprehensive area of knowledge, activity, or interest: a topic falling within the province of ancient history. See synonyms at field.
5. The range of one's proper duties and functions; scope or jurisdiction.
6. Ecology. An area of land, less extensive than a region, having a characteristic plant and animal population.
7. Any of various lands outside Italy conquered by the Romans and administered by them as self-contained units.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin prōvincia.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.