parochial

adjective

pə-ˈrō-kē-əl How to pronounce parochial (audio)
Definition of parochialnext
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

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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 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
  1. small
  2. petty
  3. narrow
  4. insular
  5. provincial
  6. sectarian
  7. little
Adjective
  • They were first popularized in Georgian England as small tokens of affection, infatuation or mourning, and examples are scattered across major museums such as the Victoria & Albert Museum in London and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
    — Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Potential monetary policy task force recommendations may involve less transparent communication, a smaller balance sheet with stability risks, and inflation metrics that produce a lower reading.
    — David Zhang, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of small
Adjective
  • His legal team couched the City Council’s move to weaken the mayor’s authority and strip him of privileges as a petty effort to unseat the youngest mayor in the city’s history, and one who has questioned their leadership.
    — Reed Williams, AJC.com, 29 July 2026
  • One Marchand report contained several petty and embarrassing details about McAfee that clearly came from ESPN insiders.
    — Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 28 July 2026
Definition of petty
Adjective
  • The narrow waterway passing between Iran and Oman serves as the main route for shipping crude from oil-rich countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Kuwait to the rest of the world.
    — Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026
  • The fighting has severely disrupted shipping through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, a narrow maritime choke point that typically handles around a fifth of the world's oil and natural gas.
    — Sam Meredith, CNBC, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of narrow
Adjective
  • There are parallels to the Epstein saga; tensions between an insular, blue-collar police force and federal agents with elite educations; systemic corruption; office politics.
    — Judy Berman, Time, 27 July 2026
  • Cheapening a Storied Brand Furthermore, the Klarna partnership cheapens Apple’s premium brand identity, which was in part achieved by its extremely insular ecosystem.
    — Bee Wertheimer, PC Magazine, 24 July 2026
Definition of insular
Adjective
  • Most projects, after all, start small—a municipal equipment contract, a provincial memorandum, a maintenance agreement.
    — Natalia Cote-Muñoz, Foreign Affairs, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Bilal Faizi, a spokesman for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial emergency service, said the attacker struck dozens of people who were chanting antimilitant slogans and demanding peace.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of provincial
Adjective
  • Hundreds of civilians — mostly Druze — were killed in sectarian revenge attacks.
    — Natalie Melzer, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 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
  • The county purchased a brand new playground in 2022, but that did little to draw in visitors, or at least not the kind the Park and Recreation Department was hoping for.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Society has had very little time to develop stable rules around it.
    — Gerui Wang, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of little

Browse Nearby Words

parlous
parochial
parochialism
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Cite this Entry

“Parochial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parochial. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of parochial for Spanish Speakers

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