parishioner

noun

pa·​rish·​ion·​er pə-ˈri-sh(ə-)nər How to pronounce parishioner (audio)
: a member or inhabitant of a parish

Examples of parishioner in a Sentence

the parishioners of First Baptist Church
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
His parishioners immediately erupted in applause. Makenzie Boucher, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2026 Security guards posted at the sanctuary during worship services on Sunday escorted parishioners to the door and kept reporters at bay. ABC News, 26 Apr. 2026 But some parishioners remain optimistic that this period of intense hardship finally augurs the end of the regime. Gisela Salim-Peyer, The Atlantic, 23 Apr. 2026 While this church was unoccupied at the time of this incident, the loss of security felt by parishioners when their sanctuary is attacked is all too real. Dejanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for parishioner

Word History

Etymology

Middle English parisshoner, probably modification of Anglo-French parochien, from paroche

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of parishioner was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Parishioner.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/parishioner. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

parishioner

noun
pa·​rish·​io·​ner
pə-ˈrish-(ə-)nər
: a member or resident of a parish

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