provincial
Definitions
Of or relating to a province
省的，地方的
Narrow-minded or unsophisticated, like someone from outside the capital
见识狭隘的，乡气的
A person from a province, away from the capital
外省人，乡下人
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedprovince + -ial (relating to). Literally 'of a province,' but it gained a dismissive sense: from the capital's viewpoint, people from the provinces seemed unsophisticated — hence 'provincial' = narrow-minded.
Why It Means This
Two senses sit side by side: the neutral administrative one (provincial government) and the snobbish one (a provincial attitude). The negative meaning comes from the old big-city bias that anything outside the capital is backward. Tone depends entirely on context.
Common Collocations
- 1.provincial government省级政府
- 2.provincial capital省会城市
- 3.provincial town外省小镇
- 4.provincial attitude保守狭隘的态度
Example Sentences
- 1.
The provincial government announced new funding for schools.
- 2.
He dismissed their tastes as hopelessly provincial.