parish

noun

par·​ish ˈper-ish How to pronounce parish (audio)
ˈpa-rish
Synonyms of parishnext
1
a(1)
: the ecclesiastical unit of area committed to one pastor
(2)
: the residents of such an area
b
British : a subdivision of a county often coinciding with an original ecclesiastical parish and constituting the unit of local government
2
: a local church community composed of the members or constituents of a Protestant church
3
: a civil division of the state of Louisiana corresponding to a county in other states

Examples of parish in a Sentence

The parish will be getting a new priest soon. The parish has grown significantly in the last three years.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Republicans have said the change was not personal and supporters have noted that the offices of criminal and civil clerks of courts are combined in other parishes. — Safiyah Riddle, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026 Nell O’Leary Alt, who grew up in the parish, said her family attends both Latin Masses, as well as English services. — ABC News, 3 July 2026 Steve Tew, district attorney for Ouachita and Morehouse parishes, has never wavered in his insistence that Duncan was guilty of murder and that he should be put to death. — Richard A. Webster, ProPublica, 29 June 2026 Days into the emergency, in the Caracas parish of San Bernardino, a border collie with one blue eye and one brown marked a precise point in the wreckage of the Residencias Rita. — Luis E. Romero, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for parish

Word History

Etymology

Middle English parisshe, from Anglo-French paroche, parosse, from Late Latin parochia, from Late Greek paroikia, from paroikos Christian, from Greek, stranger, from para- + oikos house — more at vicinity

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Time Traveler
The first known use of parish was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing parish

Browse Nearby Words

Paris green
parish
parishen
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Parish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/parish. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

parish

noun
par·​ish ˈpar-ish How to pronounce parish (audio)
1
a
: a section of a church district in the care of a priest or minister
b
: the persons who live in and attend the church of such a section
2
: the members of a church
3
: a division of the state of Louisiana that is similar to a county in other states

Legal Definition

parish

noun
par·​ish ˈpar-ish How to pronounce parish (audio)
: a civil division of the state of Louisiana corresponding to a county in other states

More from Merriam-Webster on parish

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for parish

Nglish: Translation of parish for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about parish

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