as in small
not broad or open in views or opinions
the parochial pastimes of the people in that rural farm town
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
The school, a private parochial campus overseen by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Des Moines, had 390 students in kindergarten through eighth grade in 2025, according to its website.
—
Nick El Hajj, Des Moines Register, 25 Mar. 2026
Necks craning to the back of the hall, a hush fell over the small parochial church of Santa María Trinitá on the African island of São Tomé.
—Literary Hub, 19 Mar. 2026
Any negative pushback in this moment will be interpreted as a small-minded and eminently self-serving response that puts parochial party interests above the interests of the country.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 3 Mar. 2026
Democrats who opposed the bill, however, said the money would mainly go to private or parochial institutions and is part of the Republican caucus's efforts to direct money into private education.
—Keely Doll, Louisville Courier Journal, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for parochial
Nick El Hajj, Des Moines Register, 25 Mar. 2026
Necks craning to the back of the hall, a hush fell over the small parochial church of Santa María Trinitá on the African island of São Tomé.
—Literary Hub, 19 Mar. 2026
Any negative pushback in this moment will be interpreted as a small-minded and eminently self-serving response that puts parochial party interests above the interests of the country.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 3 Mar. 2026
Democrats who opposed the bill, however, said the money would mainly go to private or parochial institutions and is part of the Republican caucus's efforts to direct money into private education.
—Keely Doll, Louisville Courier Journal, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for parochial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for parochial
Adjective
-
The National Federation of Independent Business has warned that small businesses and consumers who rely on energy, rather than oil giants, will end up holding the bag.—
Yaël Ossowski,
Boston Herald,
30 May 2026
-
But as funding from cap-and-invest and the climate bond dwindle, the state must increasingly turn to Cal Fire, which devotes only a small portion of its budget to mitigation work.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
Adjective
-
Lestat justifies his, uh, connection with Gabriella by arguing that vampires transcend petty human concepts like conventional morality.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
7 June 2026
-
The Avs did right by MacFarland in granting him permission to interview, unlike the petty and classless Golden Knights, who continue to hold former coach Bruce Cassidy hostage.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
7 June 2026
Adjective
-
Malaysian diver Lee Kian Lie told CNN that rescue divers were teaching the villagers how to dive out of the cave themselves, as the space is narrow and water levels are not coming down despite efforts to pump the water out.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
-
Delegates to the state conventions don’t mirror the broader electorate, and their candidate selections can often represent more narrow preference of the party base.—
Alex Derosier,
Twin Cities,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
At times, Season 3 becomes too insular.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
7 June 2026
-
The Vanity Fair article was published shortly after, further ostracizing Adams from her former friends and causing the remaining Eternal Values members to become even more insular.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
1 June 2026
Adjective
-
Twenty whales — 19 belugas and one killer whale — have died at Marineland since 2019, according to provincial government data obtained through freedom-of-information laws and official statements.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 June 2026
-
On one side were Carson’s years growing up in provincial Columbus, Georgia, and the succession of Southern towns to which her husband’s job had called them.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 June 2026
Adjective
-
Lebanon’s fractured system of government makes those fears of civil war or sectarian strife more potent.—
Mick Krever,
CNN Money,
6 June 2026
-
As the current amnesty law was drafted, the country's deep sectarian divisions were clear in the legislature.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
5 June 2026
Adjective
-
When Gary Vernon began riding mountain bikes in Arkansas almost 40 years ago, there was very little infrastructure intended for riders without deep experience—or a devil-may-care attitude.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 June 2026
-
Emergency reserves have little oil to spare and fuel stockpiles are facing critical lows as peak summer demand months approach.—
Devika Krishna Kumar,
Fortune,
6 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Parochial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parochial. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
