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
On top of multiple daily Masses, the trio has also been taking part in Advent penance services, in which priests from neighboring parishes gather to hear confessions.
—
Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Dec. 2025
The parish has already started a light Sunday breakfast and is looking into offering free meals on nights that nearby church food programs are off.
—Sophie Carson, jsonline.com, 23 Dec. 2025
Every day since October 2023, the late Pope Francis rang the Holy Family Church in Gaza City to speak to church leaders and some of the Palestinians staying in the parish, Father Gabriel Romanelli, previously told CNN.
—Sana Noor Haq, CNN Money, 21 Dec. 2025
The hurricane also caused prolonged disruptions to essential services, with parishes in western Jamaica still without electricity.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 17 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for parish
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Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Dec. 2025
The parish has already started a light Sunday breakfast and is looking into offering free meals on nights that nearby church food programs are off.
—Sophie Carson, jsonline.com, 23 Dec. 2025
Every day since October 2023, the late Pope Francis rang the Holy Family Church in Gaza City to speak to church leaders and some of the Palestinians staying in the parish, Father Gabriel Romanelli, previously told CNN.
—Sana Noor Haq, CNN Money, 21 Dec. 2025
The hurricane also caused prolonged disruptions to essential services, with parishes in western Jamaica still without electricity.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 17 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for parish
Cite this Entry
“Parish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/parish. Accessed 3 Jan. 2026.
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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