provincial
gb/pɹəvˈɪnʃəl/ us/pɹəvˈɪnʃəl/
B2
English
~ 6700
provinciális, szűklátókörű, tartományi, vidéki, tartományfőnök
C1
1
provinciális
C1
szűklátókörű
B2
Usage pattern:
[someone] is (very) provincial; [provincial] attitudes/tastes/views
His views on relationships seemed surprisingly provincial for someone who had traveled so much.
A párkapcsolatokról vallott nézetei meglepően provinciálisnak tűntek ahhoz képest, hogy annyit utazott.
Critics dismissed the play as dull and provincial, with nothing new to say.
A kritikusok unalmasnak és provinciálisnak minősítették a darabot, mondván, hogy nincs benne semmi új mondanivaló.
She worried that her small-town upbringing had left her a bit provincial in social situations.
The magazine mocked the city’s provincial taste in fashion and food.
They accused the committee of taking a narrow, provincial approach to global issues.
Learner examples
People in big cities may think people in small towns are provincial.
A nagyvárosiak talán provinciálisnak tartják a kisvárosban élőket.
His ideas about art are very provincial and old-fashioned.
A művészetről alkotott elképzelései nagyon provinciálisak és régimódiak.
The movie shows a man who is too provincial for life in a large city.
She felt provincial when she visited a very modern, international city.
Some politicians have a provincial way of thinking about the world.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "provincial" with "provisional" (which means "temporary"). "Provincial" in this sense describes a narrow or unsophisticated person or attitude, not something that is temporary or not final.
Meaning
narrow-minded and unsophisticated
Collocations
provincial attitudes
|provincial mindset
|seem provincial
|socially provincial
|culturally provincial
|deeply provincial
Synonyms
narrow-minded (Stresses unwillingness to accept different ideas; slightly more direct and common in everyday criticism.)
|
parochial (Formal and often used in politics or media to talk about limited interests or outlooks.)
|
insular (Highlights being cut off from outside influences or ideas, not just lacking sophistication.)
Antonyms
cosmopolitan (Describes people or places that are comfortable with many cultures and ideas, the opposite of provincial in this sense.)
|
open-minded (Focuses on being ready to accept new ideas and experiences, the opposite of narrow or provincial thinking.)
Themes
personality
|society
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Having small, narrow ideas or tastes, and not knowing much about the wider world, especially compared with people from big cities.
Having limited, narrow, or unsophisticated ideas, interests, or tastes, especially compared with those of people in large cities or more cosmopolitan environments.
B2
2
tartományi
B2
Usage pattern:
[provincial] government/authorities/law/budget; at the [provincial] level
Education policy is largely a provincial responsibility in that country.
Az oktatáspolitika abban az országban nagyrészt tartományi hatáskörbe tartozik.
The new tax must be approved by the provincial legislature before it comes into force.
Az új adót a hatálybalépése előtt jóvá kell hagynia a tartományi törvényhozásnak.
Provincial authorities declared a state of emergency after the floods.
She works as an advisor to the provincial government on health issues.
Funding for the project will be shared between federal and provincial levels of government.
Learner examples
The provincial government raised taxes this year.
A tartományi kormány idén megemelte az adókat.
Healthcare is paid for by the provincial budget in that country.
Az egészségügyi ellátást abban az országban a tartományi költségvetésből finanszírozzák.
He got a job with the provincial education office.
Provincial elections will be held next spring.
This law is only for one province; it is a provincial law.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "provincial" with "state" or "regional". "Provincial" specifically refers to provinces as official parts of a country (for example in Canada or China), while "state" refers to states (for example in the USA), and "regional" is more general.
Meaning
relating to a province
Collocations
provincial government
|provincial authorities
|provincial law
|provincial budget
|provincial level
|provincial elections
Synonyms
regional (Very close in meaning, but can refer to any region, not only an official province.)
|
local (More general and can refer to city or town level, not specifically a province.)
Antonyms
federal (Refers to the national level of government in a federation, contrasted with the provincial level.)
|
national (Describes something belonging to the whole country, not just to one province.)
Themes
politics
|geography
|law
Definition
Connected with a province, which is a large part of a country with its own local government, not the national government.
Relating to a province as an official area of government or administration within a country, especially when contrasted with the national or federal level.
B2
3
vidéki
A2
Usage pattern:
[provincial] town/city/life; [provincial] newspaper/museum
They moved from the capital to a quiet provincial town after their first child was born.
Első gyermekük születése után a fővárosból egy csendes vidéki városba költöztek.
The museum may be small and provincial, but it has an impressive collection of paintings.
Lehet, hogy kis vidéki múzeumról van szó, de lenyűgöző festménygyűjteménye van.
He grew up reading a local provincial newspaper that rarely covered international news.
Tourists often skip the provincial cities, even though many of them are rich in history.
Life in a provincial village can feel slow compared to the pace of the capital.
Learner examples
She lives in a small provincial town far from the capital.
Egy kis vidéki városban él, messze a fővárostól.
The train connects the capital with many provincial cities.
A vonat összeköti a fővárost számos vidéki várossal.
They enjoy the calm of provincial life.
A provincial newspaper does not have many pages.
The provincial museum is small but very interesting.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this sense with "rural" or "countryside". "Provincial" can include towns and small cities, not just farmland or villages, and it specifically contrasts with the capital or major cities.
Meaning
in or typical of non-capital areas
Collocations
provincial town
|provincial city
|quiet provincial life
|small provincial museum
|sleepy provincial backwater
|provincial newspaper
Synonyms
small-town (Very similar, but often more informal and focused on the size and social atmosphere of the town.)
|
rural (Refers more to the countryside and farmland, not specifically to non-capital towns or cities.)
Antonyms
urban (Relates to cities in general, often larger and busier than provincial areas.)
|
metropolitan (Describes a large city and its surrounding area, often cosmopolitan and busy, the opposite of provincial in this sense.)
Themes
geography
|lifestyle
|travel
|core_vocabulary
Definition
In or from a town or area that is not the capital or a big city, often quieter and more traditional.
Located in, belonging to, or characteristic of towns and areas outside a country’s capital or major cities, especially when describing their quieter or less busy character.
NOUN
C1
4
vidéki
A2
Usage pattern:
[someone] is (a) provincial; call [someone] a (mere) provincial
To the Parisian critics, he was just another provincial who didn’t understand modern art.
A párizsi kritikusok szemében csak egy újabb vidéki volt, aki nem értette a modern művészetet.
The novel follows a young provincial trying to make his way in the capital.
A regény egy fiatal vidéki sorsát követi, aki a fővárosban próbál boldogulni.
They laughed at him as a provincial, but his ideas later changed the whole industry.
She arrived in London a shy provincial and left a confident businesswoman.
City elites often dismiss provincials as backward or uneducated.
Learner examples
They saw him as a provincial when he came to the big city.
Vidékinek tartották, amikor a nagyvárosba érkezett.
The film shows a young provincial who moves to the capital.
A film egy fiatal vidékit mutat be, aki a fővárosba költözik.
City people sometimes think provincials are simple and boring.
He was a provincial before he moved to New York.
The writer is a provincial who writes about life in small towns.
Common mistake:
Learners may think "a provincial" is a neutral word for any person from a province. In modern English it is often disapproving, suggesting the person is not very sophisticated.
Meaning
person from a province, seen as unsophisticated
Collocations
a mere provincial
|these provincials
|backward provincials
|a group of provincials
|ignorant provincials
Synonyms
country bumpkin (Informal and sometimes humorous or strongly insulting; focuses on someone from the countryside rather than any province.)
|
hick (Slang and quite rude; emphasizes being unsophisticated and from a rural area.)
Antonyms
cosmopolitan (Describes a person who is familiar with many cultures and big-city life, opposite of a provincial in this sense.)
|
urbanite (A person who lives in a city and is used to city life, opposite of someone seen as a provincial.)
Themes
personality
|society
|core_vocabulary
|relationships
Definition
A person who comes from a province or small town and is seen as not very modern or not very open to new ideas.
A person from a province or small town, especially someone regarded as narrow-minded or less sophisticated than people from large cities.
NOUN
C1
TECHNICAL
5
provinciális
C2
Usage pattern:
[the] provincial of [a province/order]; [someone] was appointed provincial
He served as provincial of the Jesuits in Spain for six years.
Hat éven át a spanyolországi jezsuiták tartományfőnöke volt.
The new provincial announced changes to the training of young members of the order.
Az új tartományfőnök változásokat jelentett be a rend fiatal tagjainak képzésében.
After completing his term as provincial, he returned to teaching at the seminary.
The provincial superior visited every community in the province that year.
She met with the provincial to discuss her future in the order.
Learner examples
He became the provincial of the religious order in 2015.
2015-ben ő lett a szerzetesrend tartományfőnöke.
The provincial visited the small monastery last month.
A tartományfőnök a múlt hónapban meglátogatta a kis kolostort.
The provincial makes important decisions for the province of the order.
She spoke with the provincial about her work.
The new provincial changed some of the rules for the group.
Common mistake:
Learners may think "provincial" here has the same meaning as in government or geography. In this technical religious sense, it is a title for a specific leadership role within a religious order.
Meaning
head of a religious province
Collocations
the provincial superior
|provincial of the order
|appointed provincial
|serve as provincial
|Jesuit provincial
Synonyms
provincial superior (More explicit technical term used especially in Catholic orders; clearly shows the leadership role.)
|
regional superior (Used in some orders; emphasizes responsibility for a region rather than the specific word "province".)
Antonyms
novice (In religious orders, a beginner with no leadership duties, opposite in rank and responsibility to a provincial.)
Themes
religion
|organizations
Definition
In some Christian religious groups, the person who is the leader of one province (area) of that group.
In certain Christian religious orders, the official who is in charge of a geographic or administrative province within the order.
Grammar
Dictionary form
provincial
IPA
GB/pɹəvˈɪnʃəl/
US/pɹəvˈɪnʃəl/
Syllables & stress
pro - vin - cial (3 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (vin)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: provincial
Noun
- Base: provincial
- Plural: provincials
Word family
Forms
provincials
noun
Core family
province
noun A2
Related words
provincially
adverb
Advanced or less common
provincialism
noun
Expressions
at the provincial level
1/ˈæt ðə pɹəvˈɪnʃəl lˈɛvəl/
fixed phrase
within the scope of provinces
Happening or decided by provincial governments, not by the national government.
Examples
- Education is mainly managed at the provincial level in that country.
- Some environmental rules are set at the provincial level rather than nationally.
provincial authorities
1/pɹəvˈɪnʃəl əθˈɔɹɪtiz/
fixed phrase
officials of a provincial government
The people and offices that have official power in a provincial government.
Examples
- Provincial authorities ordered several schools to close because of the storm.
- The company is negotiating with provincial authorities about the new factory.
provincial budget
1/pɹəvˈɪnʃəl bˈʌd͡ʒɪt/
fixed phrase
province’s annual spending plan
The plan that shows how a provincial government will get and spend money in a year.
Examples
- Health care takes up a large share of the provincial budget.
- The new provincial budget includes money for public transport projects.
provincial capital
1/pɹəvˈɪnʃəl kˈæpɪtəl/
fixed phrase
main city of a province
The city where the government of a province has its main offices.
Examples
- He moved to the provincial capital to look for work.
- Tourists usually visit the provincial capital but ignore the smaller towns.
provincial election
1/pɹəvˈɪnʃəl ɪlˈɛkʃən/
fixed phrase
election at provincial level
An official vote where people in a province choose their provincial leaders.
Examples
- Voters will head to the polls in next month’s provincial election.
- Provincial elections are often fought over education and healthcare issues.
provincial government
1/pɹəvˈɪnʃəl ɡˈʌvɚnmənt/
fixed phrase
government of a province
The main group of people and offices that govern a province, not the whole country.
Examples
- The provincial government announced new funding for schools.
- Talks between the federal and provincial governments continued late into the night.
provincial legislature
1/pɹəvˈɪnʃəl lˈɛd͡ʒɪslˌeɪt͡ʃɚ/
fixed phrase
provincial law-making body
The group of elected people who make laws for a province.
Examples
- The bill passed easily in the provincial legislature.
- Protesters gathered outside the provincial legislature to demand changes to the law.
provincial park
1/pɹəvˈɪnʃəl pˈɑɹk/
fixed phrase
park run by a province
A large natural area for the public that is owned and managed by a provincial government.
Examples
- We camped in a beautiful provincial park by the lake.
- The province plans to create a new provincial park to protect the forest.
provincial road
1/pɹəvˈɪnʃəl ɹˈoʊd/
fixed phrase
road under provincial responsibility
A road that is built and looked after by a provincial government, not by a city or the whole country.
Examples
- Heavy trucks are not allowed on some provincial roads.
- The provincial government will repair several provincial roads this year.
provincial tax
1/pɹəvˈɪnʃəl tˈæks/
fixed phrase
tax charged by a province
Money that people must pay to a provincial government, not to the national government.
Examples
- The new provincial tax on fuel has angered drivers.
- Residents pay both federal and provincial taxes on their income.