PARSON Synonyms: 58 Similar and Opposite Words

parson

noun

Definition of parson

as in vicar

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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 parson 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 Her father, Patrick Brontë, was the parson of the local parish. — V.m. Braganza, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Oct. 2023 See All Example Sentences for parson

Recent Examples of Synonyms for parson

Noun

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
The sacred meets the secular in this long-running pairing of a young vicar with a worldly police detective in the titular idyllic Cambridgeshire village during the 1950s and ‘60s.

— Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026

Definition of vicar

Noun

Bobby Wilson was a pastor’s son who grew up idolizing the kind of R&B dudes who could wail a praise song and then hit up Freaknik afterwards (think Jodeci and H-Town).

— Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 11 July 2026
Alex Garcia, the pastor of the church, told ABC News' New York City affiliate WABC that the house of worship has been around for 20 years.

— Ivan Pereira, ABC News, 9 July 2026

Definition of pastor

Noun

There was only one doctor left in the country who could do it, neurosurgeon Volodymyr Smolanka, acting rector of Uzhhorod National University.

— Elaine Pofeldt, Forbes.com, 20 June 2026
The Rectory As the name suggests, The Rectory was originally home to the rector of nearby All Saints’ Church and his 14 children.

— Lindsay Cohn, Travel + Leisure, 13 June 2026

Definition of rector

Noun

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
Not all birth rituals depended on the intercession of a saint or the authority of a churchman.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Mar. 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

The menu includes United Kingdom staples such as shepherd’s pie and giant breakfasts that feature black pudding — a fancy word for a savory sausage mixed with blood.

— Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 2 July 2026
At the end of a two-week trial, the verdict went strongly in favor of Maria Avila, who was viciously attacked by Hades, a 200-pound Caucasian shepherd owned by Brown, while emptying trash outside the singer’s Tarzana, California house.

— Chris Willman, Variety, 1 July 2026

Definition of shepherd

Noun

Man of books and learning Several of the videos show Athanasius of Alexandria, a fourth-century bishop and theologian traditionally considered one of the church fathers.

— Denva Gallant, The Conversation, 8 July 2026
Juan José Gerardi Conedera (born December 27, 1922, Guatemala City, Guatemala—killed April 26, 1998, Guatemala City) was a Guatemalan Roman Catholic bishop and human rights activist.

— Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 July 2026

Definition of bishop

Browse Nearby Words

parsing

parson

parsonage

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Parson.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parson. Accessed 16 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of parson

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on parson

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

bibelot

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 17

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Games & Quizzes