Parish

Pronunciation

• GenAm IPA: /ˈpɛɹɪʃ/, /ˈpæɹɪʃ/
• RP IPA: /ˈpæɹɪʃ/
• Homophones: perish some accents
• Hyphenation: par + ish

Origin

From Old French paroisse, from Late Latin parochia, from Ancient Greek παρоικία (paroikia, "a dwelling abroad"), from πάρоικος (paroikos, "neighboring, foreigner"), from παρά (para, "beside") + οἶκος (oikos, "house").

Noun

1. In the Anglican, Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Church or certain civil government entities such as the state of Louisiana, an administrative part of a diocese that has its own church.
• 1918, W. B. Maxwell, The Mirror and the Lamp Chapter 7, With some of it on the south and more of it on the north of the great main thoroughfare that connects Aldgate and the East India Docks, St. Bede's at this period of its history was perhaps the poorest and most miserable parish in the East End of London.
2. The community attending that church; the members of the parish.
3. (US) An ecclesiastical society, usually not bounded by territorial limits, but composed of those persons who choose to unite under the charge of a particular priest, clergyman, or minister; also, loosely, the territory in which the members of a congregation live.
4. A civil subdivision of a British county, often corresponding to an earlier ecclesiastical parish.
5. An administrative subdivision in Louisiana that is equivalent to a county in other U.S. states.

Derived terms

• parishioner
• parish church
• parish register