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

CarleyAnn said family and their church parish have offered essential support. —Kerry Breen, CBS News, 14 Mar. 2026

Beyond the countrywide threat level, the State Department advisory states that government employees are prohibited from visiting neighborhoods in 11 different parishes, and strongly encourages travelers to do the same. —Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 12 Mar. 2026

What happened Pope Leo XIV last month accepted the resignation of Bishop Emanuel Shaleta, leader of the Chaldean Catholic community in San Diego, the Vatican announced Tuesday, a day after Shaleta pleaded not guilty to embezzling $270,000 from his parish. —Peter Weber, TheWeek, 11 Mar. 2026

After Trump decided earlier this year to endorse Representative Julia Letlow in that primary, Miguez pivoted to run for Letlow’s open congressional seat, a rural expanse that wraps the state’s border with Mississippi, which is about 40 miles from the parish where Miguez has long lived. —Michael Scherer, The Atlantic, 11 Mar. 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