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
Worshipers are bringing the Good Word beyond church walls, hitting the beaches this summer.
Beach Catholic of Long Island, New York, consists of three parishes hosting Mass near the sea every Sunday.
—
Ashley J. Dimella, FOXNews.com, 20 July 2025
Amid immigrant anxiety, Detroit's oldest Catholic parish gets new owner, $50M in support
The event was organized by Strangers No Longer, a group of Catholics in Michigan with Michigan Circles of Support that advocates for immigrants.
—Niraj Warikoo, Freep.com, 15 July 2025
Amid growth and a newer parish in suburban Williamson County, a major Spanish-speaking church in Nashville became the diocese’s largest parish last year.
—Liam Adams, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
The Middletown native was raised nominally evangelical and explored atheism before converting to Catholicism in 2019 at St. Gertrude Priory, which is attached to a Dominican parish in Madeira, about 12 miles northeast of Cincinnati.
—Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for parish
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Ashley J. Dimella, FOXNews.com, 20 July 2025
Amid immigrant anxiety, Detroit's oldest Catholic parish gets new owner, $50M in support
The event was organized by Strangers No Longer, a group of Catholics in Michigan with Michigan Circles of Support that advocates for immigrants.
—Niraj Warikoo, Freep.com, 15 July 2025
Amid growth and a newer parish in suburban Williamson County, a major Spanish-speaking church in Nashville became the diocese’s largest parish last year.
—Liam Adams, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
The Middletown native was raised nominally evangelical and explored atheism before converting to Catholicism in 2019 at St. Gertrude Priory, which is attached to a Dominican parish in Madeira, about 12 miles northeast of Cincinnati.
—Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 2 July 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 25 Jul. 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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