parson

American  

[pahr-suhn] / ˈpɑr sən /

noun

• parsons
  plural

1. a member of the clergy, especially a Protestant minister; pastor; rector.

2. the holder or incumbent of a parochial benefice, especially an Anglican.

---

parson British  

/ ˈpɑːsən, pɑːˈsɒnɪk /

noun

1. a parish priest in the Church of England, formerly applied only to those who held ecclesiastical benefices

2. any clergyman

3. a nonconformist minister

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• parsonic
  adjective
• parsonical
  adjective
• parsonish
  adjective
• parsonlike
  adjective
• parsonically
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• parsons
  plural

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."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

parson parsons

He spoke with the easy grace of a country parson, but no fire and brimstone emanated from his pulpit as he calmly but bracingly recounted what he said was his mother’s family history.

From New York Times ● Dec. 17, 2021

Roy is mirrored in turn by the later appearance of another parson, Preston Teagardin, played by Robert Pattinson with the same lip-smacking comic flamboyance he recently brought to “The King.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2020

In a dreary Yankee prison, the rebel confronts his mortal fate before a parson.

From Salon ● Jul. 6, 2018

The mission failed, and Thomas was immortalized as “the parson of the islands.”

From Washington Post ● Sep. 2, 2017

In fact, after he had given up the idea of medicine, both Charles and his father thought he was going to be a country parson.

From "Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith" by Deborah Heiligman

Here are striding parsons, botanising antiquarians, madmen, painters and poets.

From Economist ● Nov. 13, 2014

They shifted from town to town in New England, setting down in wiry outline and crude, flat tones the tight lips and beaky noses of parsons, housewives and merchants.

From Time Magazine Archive

"Jolly good luck to you," shrilled the old ladies as the parsons departed.

From Time Magazine Archive

British-born Finney, who came from a long line of Anglican parsons, learned about horses as a groom and stable boy.

From Time Magazine Archive

Any one could see with half an eye that the woman was as pious as could be—the kind that was hand and glove with parsons.

From "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie