noun

parish

PA-rihsh

noun

A local church community and the district it serves.

"The new priest was welcomed warmly by the parish."

An administrative subdivision, especially in the UK or Louisiana, comparable to a county elsewhere.

"The parish council meets on the first Tuesday of each month."

"Louisiana is divided into parishes rather than counties."

How to Use Parish

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA church community and its local area, or (in the UK and Louisiana) a small local government district.

UK vs US

In Louisiana, "parish" is the equivalent of what most US states call a "county."

Common pairings

local parish parish council parish church

parished past tense, parishes plural, Parishes plural, parishes singular

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The new priest was welcomed warmly by the _____.

From Old French paroisse, from Late Latin parochia, ultimately from Greek paroikia, "a dwelling in a foreign land."

garish harish nightmarish