parish

[par-ish]

noun

1. an ecclesiastical district having its own church and member of the clergy.

2. a local church with its field of activity.

3. (in Louisiana) a county.

4. the people of an ecclesiastical or civil parish.

5. Curling.,  house.

parish

/ ˈpærɪʃ /

noun

1. a subdivision of a diocese, having its own church and a clergyman

2. the churchgoers of such a subdivision

3. (in England and, formerly, Wales) the smallest unit of local government in rural areas

4. (in Louisiana) a unit of local government corresponding to a county in other states of the US

5. the people living in a parish

6. history receiving parochial relief

Other Word Forms

• interparish adjective
• transparish adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of parish¹

1250–1300; Middle English, variant of parosshe < Middle French paroisse < Late Latin parochia, alteration of paroecia < Late Greek paroikía, derivative of Greek pároikos neighbor, (in Christian usage) sojourner ( paroicous ); -ia

Word History and Origins

Origin of parish¹

C13: from Old French paroisse, from Church Latin parochia, from Late Greek paroikia, from paroikos Christian, sojourner, from Greek: neighbour, from _para- ¹ (beside) + oikos house

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. on the parish,

   1. receiving charity from local authorities.

   2. Informal. meagerly or inadequately supplied.

Example Sentences

This example already is being set in parishes across Southern California.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

In Los Angeles County, immigration raids have contributed to a drop in the number of people attending Mass at some parishes.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

"We are working together with the parish council and taking expert advice from the diocese as to the best way forward," he said.

Read more on BBC

In a rural Louisiana parish that is home to some 20,000 inhabitants, an army of bulldozers and excavators has been busy clearing a vast patch of farmland, the next frontier of the artificial-intelligence revolution.

Read more on MarketWatch

In Jamaica, devastation was rampant in western parishes including Westmoreland and Saint Elizabeth.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• church