provincialism

UK: /prəˈvɪnʃəˌlɪzəm/ US: (prə vin′shə liz′əm)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

pro•vin•cial•ism  (prə vin′shə liz′əm), n. 

1. narrowness of mind, ignorance, or the like, considered as resulting from lack of exposure to cultural or intellectual activity.
2. a trait, habit of thought, etc., characteristic of a provincial, a province, or the provinces.
3. a word, expression, or mode of pronunciation peculiar to a province.
4. devotion to one's own province before the nation as a whole.

• provincial + -ism 1760–70

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

provincialism / prəˈvɪnʃəˌlɪzəm/ noun

1. narrowness of mind or outlook; lack of sophistication
2. a word or attitude characteristic of a provincial
3. attention to the affairs of one's province rather than the whole nation
4. the state or quality of being provincial

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

pro•vin•cial /prəˈvɪnʃəl/   adj. 

1. belonging to or found in a particular province or provinces;
   local.
2. of or relating to the provinces.
3. narrow-minded in outlook;
   unsophisticated.

n. [countable]

4. a person who lives in or comes from the provinces.
5. a person who is narrow-minded and lacks sophistication.

pro•vin•cial•ism, n. [uncountable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

pro•vin•cial  (prə vin′shəl), adj. 

1. belonging or peculiar to some particular province;
   local:
   the provincial newspaper.
2. of or pertaining to the provinces:
   provincial customs; provincial dress.
3. having or showing the manners, viewpoints, etc., considered characteristic of unsophisticated inhabitants of a province;
   rustic;
   narrow or illiberal;
   parochial:
   a provincial point of view.
4. Architecture, Furniture (often cap.) [Fine Arts.] noting or pertaining to the styles of architecture, furniture, etc., found in the provinces, esp. when imitating styles currently or formerly in fashion in or around the capital:
   Italian Provincial.
5. American History [Hist.] of or pertaining to any of the American provinces of Great Britain.

n. 

6. a person who lives in or comes from the provinces.
7. a person who lacks urban sophistication or broad-mindedness.
8. [Eccles.]
   • Religion the head of an ecclesiastical province.
   • Religion a member of a religious order presiding over the order in a given district or province.

• Latin prōvinciālis. See province, -al¹
• Middle English (noun, nominal and adjective, adjectival) 1300–50

pro•vin′cial•ly, adv. 
Synonyms

• 3. rural, small-town.