parish

noun

par·​ish ˈper-ish 

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

Nestled in the hills of St. Patrick’s parish, about an hour from the capital of St. George’s, this historic 17th-century plantation is a fully functional estate where sustainable farming practices yield fresh, healthy, organic produce. —Grace White, Essence, 9 Aug. 2024

In June 2022, Burrill’s bishop, William Callahan, appointed Burrill the parochial administrator of a parish in La Crosse, Wis. —Kyle Melnick, Washington Post, 27 July 2024

While parishes have been merged in the Archdiocese of Hartford because of declining attendance and lack of priests, the Catholic Church has something going for it that a 17-year-old church like Vox doesn’t, according to Msgr. —Ed Stannard, Hartford Courant, 16 July 2024

Many of his graduating pupils, including Ms. Sauri and Mr. Osuna, hope to continue playing at their local parishes or help convert their belfries into systems that allow manual ringing. —Joseph Wilson, The Christian Science Monitor, 8 July 2024

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)

Phrases Containing parish

• inter-parish
• parish-pump

Kids Definition

parish

noun

par·​ish ˈpar-ish 

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 

: a civil division of the state of Louisiana corresponding to a county in other states