parishioner

noun

pa·​rish·​ion·​er pə-ˈri-sh(ə-)nər How to pronounce parishioner (audio)
: a member or inhabitant of a parish

Examples of parishioner in a Sentence

the parishioners of First Baptist Church
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.
Presutti approached his donors, most of them parishioners, for the money to gut those buildings. — Rufus Walker, Rolling Stone, 28 June 2026 That's in stark contrast to the graying parishioners at most Spanish churches at a moment the Catholic Church strives to engage with and remain relevant to youth. — ABC News, 9 June 2026 The church said there were roughly 30 people in the group and the disruption endangered staff, parishioners and visitors, and a seminar was underway at the time of the incident. — Joe Kottke, NBC news, 3 May 2026 After months of goodbyes, his faithful parishioners came one last time for his final Mass in the church at Township Line and Burmont roads Tuesday morning. — Joe Holden, CBS News, 30 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for parishioner

Word History

Etymology

Middle English parisshoner, probably modification of Anglo-French parochien, from paroche

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of parishioner was in the 15th century

Rhymes for parishioner

See All Rhymes for parishioner

Browse Nearby Words

parishional
parishioner
parish lantern
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Parishioner.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/parishioner. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

parishioner

noun
pa·​rish·​io·​ner
pə-ˈrish-(ə-)nər
: a member or resident of a parish

More from Merriam-Webster on parishioner

Nglish: Translation of parishioner for Spanish Speakers

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