noun
parish
PA-rihsh
noun
1
A local church community and the district it serves.
"The new priest was welcomed warmly by the parish."
2
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 notesIn 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
Word Forms
parished past tense, parishes plural, Parishes plural, parishes singular
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Etymology
From Old French paroisse, from Late Latin parochia, ultimately from Greek paroikia, "a dwelling in a foreign land."