What does "provo" mean?
A member of this movement.
Provo
/ˈpɹəʊ.vəʊ/ name, noun, slang
name, noun, slang ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A member of this movement.
- Grammar: provo is listed as name, noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: attempt, city, experiment, municipality.
- Useful contrasts: countryside, rural area.
- Usage evidence: Still, Daniel Cohn-Bendit has commented that without the example provided by the Dutch Provos to the young of other countries, Europe would have been a very different place in 1968.
How to use "provo"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "provo" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "provo" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "provo" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "provo" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "provo" is acting as name, noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "attempt" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "provo", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A member of this movement. historical
"Still, Daniel Cohn-Bendit has commented that without the example provided by the Dutch Provos to the young of other countries, Europe would have been a very different place in 1968."
- 2 A member of the Provisional IRA. in-plural, informal, often
"The RUC broke up a Provo cell in Belfast."
- 3 Alternative letter-case form of Provo (“member of Dutch counterculture movement”). alt-of
"In this respect, they lag behind Amsterdam's provos, Western Europe's hippies, who once tried to prove a point about communal property: […]"
Proper Noun
- 1 A Dutch counterculture movement of the 1960s. historical
- 2 A city, the county seat of Utah County, Utah, United States.
"When LGBTQ students, alumni and friends gathered off campus at a park in Provo, Utah, for a back-to-school event last weekend, they were met by dozens of protesters."
- 3 A surname
"Certificate of Ilypolite Lefever and wife Mary, that they have agreed to sell and convey to George Provo, late of the Parish of St. Martins in the Feilds, Co. of Middlesex, England, now of New Salem, cordwinder, their dividend[…]"
- 4 An unincorporated community and census-designated place in Fall River County, South Dakota.
Antonyms
countrysiderural area
Example
"Still, Daniel Cohn-Bendit has commented that without the example provided by the Dutch Provos to the young of other countries, Europe would have been a very different place in 1968."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "provo"?
Common synonyms include: attempt, city, experiment, municipality, test, try.
How do you use "provo" in a sentence?
Still, Daniel Cohn-Bendit has commented that without the example provided by the Dutch Provos to the young of other countries, Europe would have been a very different place in 1968.
How do you pronounce "provo"?
Pronounced /ˈpɹəʊ.vəʊ/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Dutch Provo, shortened from provoceren (“to provoke”), from French provoquer.
Etymology 2
Clipping of provisional + -o.
Etymology 3
* The city in Utah is named after the mountain man and trapper Étienne Provost. * The city in South Dakota is named after Bill Provost, Sr., an early resident.