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
Tuition is between $6,000 and $7,000 per child depending on if the family is in the parish.
—
Hank Sanders, Chicago Tribune, 23 May 2024
The original church was built in 1919 and closed in 1990 as part of a sweeping plan to reorganize urban parishes at the time, newspaper archives show.
—Nushrat Rahman, Detroit Free Press, 21 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for parish 
Hank Sanders, Chicago Tribune, 23 May 2024
The original church was built in 1919 and closed in 1990 as part of a sweeping plan to reorganize urban parishes at the time, newspaper archives show.
—Nushrat Rahman, Detroit Free Press, 21 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for parish
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'parish.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near parish
Cite this Entry
“Parish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/parish. Accessed 31 May. 2024.
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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