parish

noun

par·​ish ˈper-ish How to pronounce parish (audio)
ˈpa-rish
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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Most of the articles on the Wisconsin site are simply lists of Mass intentions — names of the people for whom each Mass is offered — for various Wisconsin parishes for a week in July. Sophie Carson, Journal Sentinel, 24 Oct. 2024 Almost immediately, residents across three parishes were asked to conserve water to avoid taxing wastewater systems. Chelsea Brasted, Axios, 24 Oct. 2024 Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes (Houma is located near the line between the two) are sparsely populated and majority white, but with sizable Black and tribal nations communities whose ancestral homelands have been ravaged by climate change. Nicole Foy, ProPublica, 22 Oct. 2024 Some South East parishes saw growth like East Baton Rouge, Ascension and Livingston. Jacob Mathews | The Center Square, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 16 Sep. 2024 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

Dictionary Entries Near parish

Cite this Entry

“Parish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/parish. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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