parochialism

American  

[puh-roh-kee-uh-liz-uhm] / pəˈroʊ ki əˌlɪz əm /

noun

1. a parochial character, spirit, or tendency; excessive narrowness of interests or view; provincialism.

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Other Word Forms

• parochialist noun
• parochialization noun

Etymology

Origin of parochialism

First recorded in 1840–50; parochial + -ism

Example Sentences

And he makes a claim for the relevance of his project: “These poems rebut the parochialism and tribalism that dog our present, even as they appeal to universal experiences and values.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 19, 2025

Yet even in his parochialism, Jefferson's broad-mindedness remained apparent.

From Salon • Oct. 11, 2024

Critics derided what they regarded as the parochialism of it all but at its peak the series would pull in 10 million viewers from across the UK.

From BBC • Mar. 6, 2023

Global warming is not unlike the “tragedy of the commons,” in which parochialism and self-interest undermine the common good.

From New York Times • Dec. 31, 2021

The parochialism of the ghettos of Gotham had not prepared her for the uniqueness of Your Working Boy.

From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole