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

Although Republicans who dominate the state Legislature are aligned on the broad contours of the new map, the House and Senate have competing visions for how to divvy up certain localities, including which parishes will be kept whole and which will be sliced up. —David A. Lieb, Chicago Tribune, 23 May 2026

Archbishop addresses alleged theft The archdiocese released a statement Saturday from Archbishop Shawn McKnight, who said his primary concern is for the people of Curé of Ars parish and all those directly affected by the alleged crime. —Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 23 May 2026

Although Republicans who dominate the state Legislature are aligned on the broad contours of the new map, the House and Senate have competing visions for how to divvy up certain localities, including which parishes will be kept whole and which will be sliced up. —ABC News, 22 May 2026

Police then tracked Jacques's vehicle to a parish in Louisiana, where he was pulled over and arrested two days later, the outlet reported. —Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 22 May 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