parish

[ par-ish ]

/ ˈpær ɪʃ /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR parish ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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

a local church with its field of activity.

(in Louisiana) a county.

the people of an ecclesiastical or civil parish.

Curling. house(def 20).

Words nearby parish

paris, paris club, paris commune, paris daisy, paris green, parish, parish clerk, parish council, parish house, parish pump, parish register

Idioms for parish

on the parish, British.

receiving charity from local authorities.
Informal. meagerly or inadequately supplied.

Origin of parish

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 (see paroicous); see -ia

OTHER WORDS FROM parish

in·ter·par·ish, adjectivetrans·par·ish, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Examples from the Web for parish

Church bells pealed from St. Catherine of Siena parish one block away.
The Louisiana Racists Who Courted Steve Scalise|Jason Berry|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
According to Wahlberg, his time in prison, as well as the guidance of a parish priest, helped him turn his life around.
Mark Wahlberg’s Pardon Plea: A Look Back At His Troubling, Violent, and Racist Rap Sheet|Marlow Stern|December 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Despite the multiple warnings, Bishop Finn chose to leave Ratigan in place in the parish.
Will the Vatican Finally Hold This Kansas City Bishop Accountable?|Barbie Latza Nadeau|October 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The parish priest Father Michele Iacono, dressed in purple vestments, blessed the bodies and performed last rights en masse.
Italy: Migrants Dying en Masse|Barbie Latza Nadeau|July 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST

His first gig was with a drum-and-bugle corps put together by the parish priest.
The Stacks: The Neville Brothers Stake Their Claim as Bards of the Bayou|John Ed Bradley|April 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I don't feel myself equal yet to the responsibilities of a parish.
The Graftons|Archibald Marshall
The parish priest was received with respect and deference by all, even by the alferez.
Friars and Filipinos|Jose Rizal
The minister of a parish in Dumfriesshire had a man who had long and faithfully served at the manse.
Reminiscences of Scottish Life and Character|Edward Bannerman Ramsay
In a parish near Glasgow, Eaglesham, eighty children are said to have died of smallpox in 1713.
A History of Epidemics in Britain, Volume II (of 2)|Charles Creighton
Thirty years ago, there dwelt an old man named Simon Cockburn, who followed the avocations of parish teacher and precentor.
Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland|Various

British Dictionary definitions for parish

parish

/ (ˈpærɪʃ) /

noun

a subdivision of a diocese, having its own church and a clergymanRelated adjective: parochial

the churchgoers of such a subdivision

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

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

the people living in a parish

on the parish history receiving parochial relief

Word Origin for parish

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

parish

noun

Words related to parish

Words nearby parish

Idioms for parish

Origin of parish

OTHER WORDS FROM parish

Examples from the Web for parish

British Dictionary definitions for parish

noun

Word Origin for parish