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
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.
The only result of the two parishes to have more than 50% of voters participate was the race for mayor of the village of Rodessa in Caddo. Jacob Mathews | The Center Square, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 9 Dec. 2024 That includes a permanent $2,000 pay raise for teachers by paying off teacher pension debt, a doubling of the standard deduction for seniors, and an option for parishes to repeal the business inventory property tax, among other changes. Chelsea Brasted, Axios, 26 Nov. 2024 Today, the Archdiocese of Milwaukee tallies 184 parishes, a nearly 30% drop from 60 years ago, when a building boom was underway. Sophie Carson, Journal Sentinel, 4 Nov. 2024 Catholic bishops have for years expressed reservations about the Girl Scouts and have debated whether the church should continue to allow troops to associate with Catholic parishes and schools. Dan Horn, The Enquirer, 29 Oct. 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 2 Jan. 2025.

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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