French Conversation · Level 60
75 words
French word
province
Pronunciation
IPA/pʁovɛ̃s/
Meaning
- feminine nounprovince
Example
Elle travaille en province.
She works in the provinces.
More examples
Il préfère partir en province le week-end.
He prefers to go to the provinces on weekends.
Core concept
The broad region beyond the capital's metropolitan center, often associated with smaller cities and rural areas.
Common phrases
habiter en province
live in the provinces
en province
in the provinces
Similar words
région: A sizable territorial division within a country.
campagne: A sparsely populated rural area with fields, located away from cities.
banlieue: An urban outskirts area containing residential neighborhoods.
département: A territorial division used in France for local administration.
Definition in French
Région située hors de la capitale, souvent rurale ou non métropolitaine.
Word origin
French province comes through Old French from Latin provincia, which originally meant a territory placed under Roman authority.
Usage tips
- In contemporary French, en province often means outside Paris, so a specific region name gives clearer information when relevant.
Other meanings
- statenoun
- countrysidenoun
Related words
- provincialprovincialadjective