[prov.ince] n [ME, fr. MF, fr. L provincia] (14c) 1 a: a country or region brought under the control of the ancient Roman government b: an administrative district or division of a country c pl: all of a country except the metropolises
2. a: a division of a country forming the jurisdiction of an archbishop or metropolitan b: a territorial unit of a religious order 3 a: a biogeographic division of less rank than a region b: an area that exhibits essential continuity of geological history; also: one characterized by particular structural or petrological features
4. a: proper or appropriate function or scope: sphere b: a department of knowledge or activity syn see function