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

Charles Deslondes went through numerous plantations along the river, throughout the river parishes of Louisiana, which is now known as Cancer Alley. —JSTOR Daily, 25 Nov. 2025

Instead of removing him from the ministry, the lawsuit claims the Archdiocese repeatedly reassigned Holihan to new parishes and schools for decades. —Todd Feurer, CBS News, 25 Nov. 2025

In 2022, a Christian parish met with then-Syrian militia leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, who would become the country's president in 2024 and this month was the first Syrian leader to visit the White House. —Emily Feng, NPR, 25 Nov. 2025

As those debates play out nationally, the impact in Charlotte’s parishes has been immediate. —Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 21 Nov. 2025

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