parochialism

noun pa·ro·chi·al·ism \ pə-ˈrō-kē-ə-ˌli-zəm \

|Updated on: 5 Jul 2018

Definition of parochialism

: the quality or state of being parochial; especially : selfish pettiness or narrowness (as of interests, opinions, or views)

Recent Examples of parochialism from the Web

The measure passed Thursday bars alternates from participating in board or committee proceedings — a change proponents say is intended to streamline discussions, reduce parochialism, and increase the level of expertise among members of the panel.

— martine powers, Washington Post, "Pushed by Virginia lawmakers, Metro board agrees to internal restructuring," 28 June 2018
Let our cultural and ethnic diversity be a source of pride and strength, not parochialism and conflict.

— jennifer williams, Vox, "South Sudan’s civil war has raged for 5 years. Now the leaders of the two sides are meeting.," 20 June 2018
The answer lies in a story of self-interest and parochialism that has been kept quiet outside of political circles.

— jonathan lai, Philly.com, "Pa. gerrymandering's surprise co-conspirators: Democrats," 29 Apr. 2018
On issues such as energy and transportation, geography and parochialism can trump party allegiance.

— carl hulse, New York Times, "Sharper State Divide in Congress Seen as ‘New Civil War’," 15 Jan. 2018
This caution is produced by a mixture of parochialism (few pupils master a foreign language at school) and superiority (universities at home are excellent).

— The Economist, "Expanding horizonsWhy more British students are choosing foreign universities," 15 Feb. 2018
Resurgent parochialism could gain even more momentum with the looming departure of the U.K., long one of the EU’s strongest single-market proponents.

— valentina pop, WSJ, "Globalization in Retreat | From German Faucets to Italian Chocolate, Trade Barriers Are Rising Again in Europe," 13 Dec. 2017
As a result, the European Union is having to grapple with rising parochialism and protectionism, tougher stances among member states on immigration, and growing opposition to the bloc’s free-trade ambitions.

— valentina pop, WSJ, "EU Struggles With Foibles of Coalition Governments," 19 Oct. 2017
Actually, Tod, your geezery parochialism is what’s wrong.

— jeff gordinier, Esquire, "The Best New Restaurants in America 2017," 18 Oct. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'parochialism.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.