PAROCHIAL Synonyms: 60 Similar and Opposite Words

parochial

adjective

pə-ˈrō-kē-əl

Definition of parochial

as in small

not broad or open in views or opinions the parochial pastimes of the people in that rural farm town

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Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of parochial Many children in Florida attending private, parochial or homeschool programs do not take the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking, or FAST, test, which is used by Florida’s public school districts to measure students’ achievement. — Kendall Deas, The Conversation, 6 July 2026 They are hired hands and stewards of other people’s capital, with no desire to becoming embroiled in internecine squabbles between clashing advocates, parochial activists, and plain opportunists latching on to the moment. — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 28 June 2026 In the most parochial place that ever was or ever will be, authenticity functions as a means of psychic gatekeeping, and someone who doesn’t speak the lingua Francona isn’t someone who’s worth listening to when the game’s on. — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 12 June 2026 Such decisions arguably can best be done at a state level rather than from the more parochial position of city mayors. — David Greising, Chicago Tribune, 5 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for parochial

Recent Examples of Synonyms for parochial

Adjective

These vines will also happily wind their way around tree trunks and shrubs and fix themselves in place with small rootlets that take on a hairy appearance as poison ivy plants mature.

— Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Aug. 2026
Tidy a corner and play a favorite song, letting a small routine remind everyone that care comes through simple, repeatable acts.

— Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of small

Adjective

The show finds ways to expose the worst in its characters, their pettiest, most vengeful, greediest parts.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026
Beyond petty crime, the department warned that Belgium remains at risk for terrorist attacks and related activity.

— Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of petty

Adjective

Totality — when the sun is completely obscured — is only visible within the narrow path of the moon's shadow.

— Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 10 Aug. 2026
The part east of West Broadway that bleeds into the grit of the Financial District, the skyscrapers so tall and the streets so narrow that sunlight doesn’t reach much at all.

— Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of narrow

Adjective

And so there does appear to be an emotional network in the brain — areas like the amygdala, the anterior cingulate cortex, insular cortex, and some other areas that seem to confer an emotional component of pain.

— Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 6 Aug. 2026
Kauai, a rural island of 70,000 people, is tremendously insular and interconnected.

— Guthrie Scrimgeour, Rolling Stone, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of insular

Adjective

The national police service did not give more details on the circumstances of the deaths, but said the provincial police commissioner was on the way to the mine.

— ABC News, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026
Choco Governor Nubia Carolina Cordoba-Curi said there were injuries and significant damage in Quibdo, the provincial capital, and warned residents about aftershocks.

— Nelson Bocanegra, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of provincial

Adjective

Tensions flared in April 2025, when at least 10 people were killed in sectarian clashes between Druze gunmen and pro-government fighters.

— Abdulrahman Shaheen, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026
He was arrested in Lebanon in July 2025 and sentenced to three months in prison for incitement to religious and sectarian conflict.

— Adam England, PEOPLE, 27 July 2026

Definition of sectarian

Adjective

Orlando’s best chance of the first half came in the 31st minute when Simone Jackson hit the crossbar, but the Pride managed little else going forward and went into the break trailing.

— Kyle Foley, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Aug. 2026
An apologetic statement this week and commitment to not letting history repeat itself has, though, done little to placate the intensifying scrutiny of his leadership.

— Aleks Klosok, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of little

Browse Nearby Words

parlous

parochial

parochialism

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“Parochial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parochial. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of parochial

adjective

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