1
a(1)
: the ecclesiastical unit of area committed to one pastor
(2)
: the residents of such an area
b
British
: a subdivision of a county often coinciding with an original ecclesiastical parish and constituting the unit of local government
2
: a local church community composed of the members or constituents of a Protestant church
3
: a civil division of the state of Louisiana corresponding to a county in other states
Examples of parish in a Sentence
The parish will be getting a new priest soon.
The parish has grown significantly in the last three years.
Recent Examples on the Web
What To Know Calvin Robinson, a priest leading an Anglican Catholic Church parish in Michigan who also serves as lead spokesman for the right-wing UK Independence Party (UKIP), repeated the gesture while speaking at the National Pro-Life Summit in Washington, D.C., on Saturday.
—
Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 30 Jan. 2025
But on Tuesday, for the first time ever, a National Weather Service office in southwest Louisiana issued a blizzard warning for a number of counties and parishes.
—Bill Chappell, NPR, 21 Jan. 2025
In Brooklyn, one pastor is trying to help struggling parishes keep their doors open.
—Ben Casselman, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025
In the same stretch, all Louisiana parishes have experienced at least 12.
—Chelsea Brasted, Axios, 6 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for parish 
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Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 30 Jan. 2025
But on Tuesday, for the first time ever, a National Weather Service office in southwest Louisiana issued a blizzard warning for a number of counties and parishes.
—Bill Chappell, NPR, 21 Jan. 2025
In Brooklyn, one pastor is trying to help struggling parishes keep their doors open.
—Ben Casselman, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025
In the same stretch, all Louisiana parishes have experienced at least 12.
—Chelsea Brasted, Axios, 6 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for parish
Dictionary Entries Near parish
Cite this Entry
“Parish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/parish. Accessed 11 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
parish
noun
par·ish
ˈpar-ish 
1
a
: a section of a church district in the care of a priest or minister
b
: the persons who live in and attend the church of such a section
2
: the members of a church
3
: a division of the state of Louisiana that is similar to a county in other states
Legal Definition
parish
noun
par·ish
ˈpar-ish
: a civil division of the state of Louisiana corresponding to a county in other states
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