parochial
Americanadjective
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of, relating to, or financially supported by one or more church parishes.
parochial churches in Great Britain.
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of or relating to parochial schools or the education they provide.
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very limited or narrow in scope or outlook; provincial.
parochial views; a parochial mentality.
adjective
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narrow in outlook or scope; provincial
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of or relating to a parish or parishes
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of parochial
1350–1400; late Middle English parochialle < Late Latin parochiālis ( see parish, -al 1); replacing Middle English parochiele < Anglo-French parochiel < Late Latin as above
Explanation
If an issue or a matter is parochial, it is trivial or only concerns a local area. Likewise, a person with a parochial mentality is narrow-minded, or not open to new ideas. Parochial comes to English from Greek through Latin with the meaning "of a parish." As a parochial school is a school that is affiliated with a particular church, the connection is easy to see. In general though, parochial refers to a narrow or limited point of view — that is, an outlook that extends no further than the limits of the parish. You may feel that there is no room in your life for the parochial attitudes of the older generation. Let's hope you remain open-minded as you age!
Vocabulary lists containing parochial
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
While the state of town centres might once have been dismissed by some Westminster politicians as a parochial concern, there does now seem to be an awareness of how crucial the issue is to voters.
From BBC ● May 2, 2026
During the 1890s and early 1900s, writers in Ireland found the way blocked by such parochial groups as the Vigilance Committee.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026
Negro has twice been named national coach of the year by Max Preps, leading the Bellflower parochial school to a record of 177-30 in 16 seasons, winning four CIF State championships and two national titles.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 22, 2026
The outbreak, predictably, was especially bad in private and parochial schools with high numbers of unvaccinated students.
From Slate ● Dec. 9, 2025
As writers, then, we should try to get into our readers’ heads and be mindful of how easy it is to fall back on parochial jargon and private abstractions.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
