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

Golka, 59, is now the leader for the more than 600,000 Catholics, 148 individual parishes and 31 Catholic schools within the Denver Archdiocese. —Elizabeth Hernandez, Denver Post, 26 Mar. 2026

Many schools and parishes also have struggled to adapt to changing demographics. —Dan Horn, Cincinnati Enquirer, 25 Mar. 2026

Holy Ghost Catholic Church Church leaders told CBS Colorado that the statues have been part of the parish since 1924 and were placed near the front doors when the upper portion of the building was completed in 1943. —Jennifer McRae, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026

There are 14 open judicial seats in the parish, and candidates choose among three districts in which to run. —Richard A. Webster, ProPublica, 24 Mar. 2026

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