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
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Recent Examples of parochial
Research shows the disparity between vaccination coverage in private and parochial/religious versus public schools is that private and parochial/religious schools tend to have higher rates of exemptions to vaccinations for moral and religious beliefs.
—
Kar-Hai Chu,
The Conversation,
10 Apr. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for parochial
Kar-Hai Chu,
The Conversation,
10 Apr. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for parochial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for parochial
Adjective
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After selling baklava at the Stock Show, the Unlus rented their first resraurant space in a small Eighth Avenue food hall.
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The Virgo moon asks you to focus on the small tasks.
Adjective
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Instead, Defendants appear to be actively undermining the restoration of the Kennedy Center’s name, in a petty act of defiance.
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The two deaths join a long list of other instances of Black Americans dying in interactions with police after accusations of petty criminal offenses.
Adjective
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The narrow win pushed Morocco into first place in Group C, all but securing a spot in the knockout rounds for the 2022 World Cup semifinalists.
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Just outside downtown, this narrow stretch of former warehouses is now lined with markets, mom-and-pop shops and restaurants that spill onto the sidewalks all summer long.
Adjective
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Jongno is protectively insular.
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At times, Season 3 becomes too insular.
Adjective
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Online databases, provincial vital records offices, and archives help reconstruct the family chain.
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The court convicted the two defendants after a trial that was initially held in Gwadar and later moved to a high-security prison in Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan, because of security concerns.
Adjective
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If Damascus interferes in Lebanon, sectarian violence could follow, as the Syrian military presence would likely be interpreted as direct opposition to Hezbollah’s Shiite fighters.
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Lebanon is a multi-sectarian society with over a dozen ethnic and religious minority groups, including one of the region’s largest Christian populations.
Adjective
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There, officers found the little girl with severe, life-threatening injuries.
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Contrary to popular belief, the central bank has little influence over home loan rates.
Cite this Entry
“Parochial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parochial. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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