PAROCHIAL Synonyms: 60 Similar and Opposite Words

parochial

adjective

pə-ˈrō-kē-əl

Definition of parochial

as in small

not broad or open in views or opinions the parochial pastimes of the people in that rural farm town

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of parochial Among the bureaucratic, parochial, pastoral and familial spaces his work takes his clients, a reflection on roots, gentrification and the act of remaining emerges. — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 31 Aug. 2026 In some cases, opposition might amount to parochial not in my backyard — or NIMBY — concerns. — Stefan Chavez-Norgaard, The Conversation, 20 Aug. 2026 Several residents who spoke at the meetings characterized the opposition as a vocal minority of residents who have fixated on a few mostly parochial issues. — John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 1 Aug. 2026 All but one, Pulaski Academy in Little Rock, were either parochial or had some religious affiliation. — Arkansas Online, 25 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for parochial

Recent Examples of Synonyms for parochial

Adjective

Comparing households aged 72 and older in 2022 with those aged 75 and older in 2025, Maggiulli calculated a smaller—but still substantial—21% increase.

— Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
The development could help make optical atomic clocks smaller and more suitable for use outside laboratories.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of small

Adjective

Blacks in the South were routinely imprisoned on petty or trumped-up charges, then leased out to landowners, mining companies, railroads and factories as unpaid labor.

— Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Oct. 2026
Meanwhile, out on the streets, young con artist Thomas Shepherd (Ruaridh Mollica) and pickpocket Lisa Molinari (Lauren Morais) are running petty scams.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of petty

Adjective

The decision to set that tone staggering through all 10 minutes of the extended cut might scan as raw inspiration, placing Spacemen 3 on a narrow band from La Monte Young and Terry Riley to some brilliant dro)))ne future.

— Gabriel Szatan, Pitchfork, 18 Oct. 2026
Recent polls have shown Jackson holding only a narrow lead over Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms.

— DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE STAFF FROM WIRE REPORTS, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of narrow

Adjective

The yearslong feud offers a rare window into the insular world of top-tier science labs, where directors wield outsized authority.

— Chris Serres — Boston Globe, STAT, 16 Oct. 2026
Amid geopolitical uncertainty and the AI boom, executive leadership has had to become a much less insular affair.

— Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of insular

Adjective

The provincial government said a committee had been formed to investigate the cause of the roof collapse of the three-story building.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026
In total, the deal will inject nearly 125 megawatts of extra clean electricity into the provincial grid.

— Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of provincial

Adjective

The sectarian violence that followed the invasion appears to have convinced Iraqis of the importance of both national solidarity and separating religion from politics.

— Mansoor Moaddel, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2026
At the sectarian level, Baptists ridiculed Quakers, Presbyterians oppressed Anabaptists.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of sectarian

Adjective

Depending on the machine and settings, that material ends up in a purge tower built alongside the print, or in a collection of little plastic doll's-house-looking spaghetti balls, affectionately known as printer poop.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2026
That gives One Roof a significant advantage over competing Seattle bidders and little incentive to offer anything close to $10 billion.

— Matt Calkins OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of little

Browse Nearby Words

parlous

parochial

parochialism

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“Parochial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parochial. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of parochial

adjective

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