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

Fish, however, is usually exempt from the no-meat rule, and churches and parishes around Kansas City offer fish fries on Fridays during Lent. —Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 20 Feb. 2026

Hundreds of community members gathered outside of the Melrose Park parish for the Mass, which was followed by a candlelit procession. —Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 19 Feb. 2026

Many Catholic parishes schedule multiple services throughout the day — early morning, noon and evening — to accommodate work and school schedules. —Dante Motley, Austin American Statesman, 18 Feb. 2026

All of the dinners are being put on by the parishes’ Knights of Columbus councils. —Elizabeth Marie Himchak, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Feb. 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