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

The two men would help transform the parish from being in danger of closing to one of the most vital and popular in town. — Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune, 3 Nov. 2026

The fight before the Supreme Court In papers with the Supreme Court, lawyers for the Archdiocese and Catholic parishes argue that they are being unfairly excluded from the universal preschool program because of their religious exercise. — Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026

The Denver Archdiocese and two parishes challenged the law in court, represented by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty and its CEO, Mark Rienzi. — Nina Totenberg, NPR, 1 Nov. 2026

The letter was read in all Catholic parishes across the state to inform parishioners about the amendment. — Gabrielle M. Etzel, The Washington Examiner, 30 Oct. 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