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.
In March, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill’s office took over all pending charges against Colbert from district courts in multiple parishes across Louisiana. Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 30 May 2025 According to a statement issued by the Louisiana State Police, the two deadly crashes occurred on LA 67 in two different parishes. Demicia Inman, VIBE.com, 22 May 2025 There were more than a thousand priests and hundreds of parishes and parochial schools. Geraldo Cadava, New Yorker, 22 May 2025 In 1992, the South Side parishes were merged and the new Prince of Peace parish was created. Tj MacIas, Miami Herald, 19 May 2025 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

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Cite this Entry

“Parish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/parish. Accessed 8 Jun. 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

More from Merriam-Webster on parish

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