parson
Americannoun
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a member of the clergy, especially a Protestant minister; pastor; rector.
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the holder or incumbent of a parochial benefice, especially an Anglican.
noun
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a parish priest in the Church of England, formerly applied only to those who held ecclesiastical benefices
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any clergyman
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a nonconformist minister
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of parson
1200–50; Middle English persone < Medieval Latin persōna parish priest, Latin: personage. See person
Explanation
Use the noun parson to describe a member of the clergy — a person with the authority to lead worship in a church or perform religious rites such as weddings and christenings. Historically, parson has been what Anglican church members call their minister or priest, but the term can also be used as a generic term for "clergy member." You might ask a parson to preside at your wedding, or to officiate at your grandmother's funeral, for example. Experts are uncertain about the exact origins of parson, although one theory says it's a shortened form of the Latin persona ecclesiae, "person of the church."
Vocabulary lists containing parson
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
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Our Town
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Twelfth Night
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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.
Tristan’s passage between worlds is anything but serene, and dancers, subtly choreographed by Annie-B Parson, accompany him as he hovers in the tunnel that suggests the bardo of Tibetan Buddhism.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 11, 2026
Most famously, Parson Weems invented from whole cloth the story about young Washington taking a hatchet to his father’s cherry tree, then confessing to it.
From Slate • Feb. 16, 2026
William Blair analyst Louie DiPalma rates Parson shares Buy, but doesn’t have a price target for the stock.
From Barron's • Dec. 5, 2025
It opened preseason training camp last week under interim coach Sam Laity while Parson searches for a permanent replacement for Becki Tweed, who was fired as manager in December.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 29, 2025
Chuck Parson walked up to me just as Cassie walked away.
From "Paper Towns" by John Green
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.
