Provincial

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Pronunciation: /pɹəˈvɪn(t)ʃəl/

Definitions

1. Relating to a province or showing the limited outlook and manners typical of regions outside major cities
2. Pertaining to a specific region or area, often reflecting a narrow perspective or conservative attitudes associated with rural or less urbanized places
3. Connected to a region or territory, typically exhibiting an attitude that is less sophisticated or progressive than that found in urban centers

Etymology: The Roman word "provincia" originally meant a sphere of duty or command assigned to a magistrate, and only later came to mean a conquered territory governed from Rome. "Provincialis" was the adjective built from it, meaning "of a province," so the English sense of a region-bound outlook is a fairly direct descendant of a purely administrative term. The word passed into Middle English from Old French "provincial," which had kept the Latin meaning of belonging to a province. For centuries it was a neutral, technical adjective, used of provinces, provincial governments, and provincial assemblies. The sneer came later: once people lived far from the capital, "provincial" began to suggest someone who lacked the polish and sophistication of city life, and the word shifted from describing a place to judging the person from it.

Synonyms: rural, regional

Antonyms: metropolitan, urban