PARSON Synonyms: 58 Similar and Opposite Words

parson

noun

Definition of parson

as in vicar

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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 parson Sofa in collage by Peter Dunham Textiles; Hot pink laminate parsons tables by Two Worlds Arts; Soft edge chairs by Hay; Madeleine Castaing striped carpet by Codimat Collection. — Michael Boodro, Architectural Digest, 18 Apr. 2025 Writing in the eighteenth century, Smith compared energetic and often sensationalist Methodist preachers with the more reserved and cerebral parsons of the Church of England. — Shadi Hamid, Foreign Affairs, 18 June 2024 The other is her violent stepfather, who, in this version, is also the church’s parson (Steven Pasquale). — Jesse Green, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2024 His living room included an antique Japanese screen hanging on a white wall above a leather banquette with pillow sable heads mounted on silver pedestals and a parsons table. — Elise Taylor, Vogue, 6 Dec. 2023 See All Example Sentences for parson

Recent Examples of Synonyms for parson

Noun

The couple were married by a female vicar, per the Daily Mail.

— Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 13 July 2026
Nearly every murder is solved by the end of the episode, but despite the unusual twist of having the village vicar team up with the police, the real action comes from the relationships among the characters.

— Pat Saperstein, Variety, 14 June 2026

Definition of vicar

Noun

Some years ago, the State met me in behalf of the Church, and commanded me to pay a certain sum toward the support of a clergyman whose preaching my father attended, but never I myself.

— René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026
But the heart of this production is the dramatic soprano Christine Goerke, who plays a deceased clergyman known as the Reverend.

— Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of clergyman

Noun

Earlier this week, Reverend Jeff Hood, an Arkansas pastor, asked for Donalds to put a 6-month moratorium on executions.

— News Editor, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Nov. 2026
Kiribati lawmaker Kaotitaake Rakoroa told news outlets the survivors were taken in by a local church pastor, who provided immediate shelter and care.

— Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 12 Nov. 2026

Definition of pastor

Noun

Following his passing, those who knew Mateucci have expressed their deep sadness at the accident and spoken highly of the late rector.

— Katherine McLaughlin, Architectural Digest, 22 Oct. 2026
The Scottsdale Police Department has identified the deceased as Brazilian national Rogério Renato Mateucci, rector of the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná, who had traveled to the US for an event at Arizona State University.

— Hikmat Mohammed, ARTnews.com, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of rector

Noun

Just before the Devil drawing is a churchman’s confession of a lengthy list of sins.

— Laura Payne, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026
Meanwhile, churchmen claimed the authority to restrain violence, encouraged just wars and threatened violent behaviors with spiritual sanctions.

— Joëlle Rollo-Koster, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2026

Definition of churchman

Noun

The Mexican fan palm, supposedly brought here by the mission-building padres to supply Palm Sunday foliage, can grow taller, maybe 10 stories, and skinnier, and can dip and sway camera-readily in the wind.

— Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2025
The group has since evolved to the comité de padres and grown to roughly 30 mothers.

— Mathew Miranda, Sacramento Bee, 18 Apr. 2024

Definition of padre

Noun

Leo spent two decades ministering in Peru as a missionary priest and then bishop, and has credited the place and its people with shaping his view of the church and being a shepherd.

— ABC News, ABC News, 5 Nov. 2026
The pair also co-starred in the beloved mystery dramedy The Sheep Detectives (2026), with Jackman playing shepherd George Hardy and Stewart voicing a sheep named Sir Ritchfield.

— Allison DeGrushe, StyleCaster, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of shepherd

Noun

On the front lines during natural disasters Janinna Sesa, former director of Caritas Chiclayo, worked with the bishop for eight years, including during the pandemic, the flooding caused by the coastal El Niño in 2017, and Cyclone Yaku in 2023.

— Claudia Rebaza, CNN Money, 11 Nov. 2026
His last stop is Peru, where Leo holds citizenship and spent two decades as a missionary and bishop.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Nov. 2026

Definition of bishop

Browse Nearby Words

parsing

parson

parsonage

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“Parson.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parson. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of parson

noun

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