Dictionary.com

parson

[ pahr-suhn ]
/ ˈpɑr sən /
See synonyms for: parson / parsonical / parsonish on Thesaurus.com

noun

a member of the clergy, especially a Protestant minister; pastor; rector.
the holder or incumbent of a parochial benefice, especially an Anglican.

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We’ve gathered some interesting words donated to English from Portuguese … as well as some that just don’t translate at all. Do you know what they mean?
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Which of the following animal names traces its immediate origin to Portuguese?
owl
crow
piranha
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Origin of parson

1200–50; Middle English persone<Medieval Latin persōna parish priest, Latin: personage. See person

OTHER WORDS FROM parson

par·son·ic [pahr-son-ik], /pɑrˈsɒn ɪk/, par·son·i·cal, adjectivepar·son·i·cal·ly, adverbpar·son·ish, par·son·like, adjective

Words nearby parson

parsley, parsley family, parsley fern, parsley piert, parsnip, parson, parsonage, parson bird, Parsons, parson's nose, Parsons table
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Words related to parson

vicar, pastor, preacher, priest, chaplain, minister, rector, ecclesiastic, padre, reverend

Example sentences from the Web for parson

British Dictionary definitions for parson

parson
/ (ˈpɑːsən) /

noun

a parish priest in the Church of England, formerly applied only to those who held ecclesiastical benefices
any clergyman
NZ a nonconformist minister

Derived forms of parson

parsonic (pɑːˈsɒnɪk) or parsonical, adjective

Word Origin for parson

C13: from Medieval Latin persōna parish priest, representative of the parish, from Latin: personage; see person
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