as in small
not broad or open in views or opinions
the parochial pastimes of the people in that rural farm town
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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
Given the court's significance in international law, this case could have more of an impact than COP on countries' behavior and corporate policies — and on future legal action, compared to past more parochial climate cases.
—
Andrew Freedman, Axios, 3 Dec. 2024
But these conservationists were not always taken seriously by professional ornithologists, who often viewed them as parochial animal lovers and laughed at their efforts.
—Tim Gallagher, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Nov. 2024
There are literally thousands of other Americans worldwide who have dedicated their lives in similar ways to causes that are more consequential than parochial nationalism.
—Saleem H. Ali, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024
Slipknot have since gone multi-platinum, founded their own music festival, and stretched far beyond their parochial metal scene into persistent cultural relevance.
—Emma Madden, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for parochial 
Andrew Freedman, Axios, 3 Dec. 2024
But these conservationists were not always taken seriously by professional ornithologists, who often viewed them as parochial animal lovers and laughed at their efforts.
—Tim Gallagher, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Nov. 2024
There are literally thousands of other Americans worldwide who have dedicated their lives in similar ways to causes that are more consequential than parochial nationalism.
—Saleem H. Ali, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024
Slipknot have since gone multi-platinum, founded their own music festival, and stretched far beyond their parochial metal scene into persistent cultural relevance.
—Emma Madden, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for parochial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for parochial
Adjective
-
Is what he’s done a small sample size thing or something more?—
James Mirtle,
The Athletic,
18 Feb. 2025
-
No matter if they’re labeled green, farmers’ or artisans’ markets, the gatherings are a source of one-stop shopping for specialty goods that help patrons kick their cooking up a notch while also supporting small businesses.—
Kari Barnett,
Sun Sentinel,
18 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
What does revoking Biden's security clearance accomplish other than satisfy a petty grievance of a childish man?—
Yaakov Katz,
Newsweek,
8 Feb. 2025
-
The purview of his catalogue narrowed, focusing on refining a reputation as a petty king in rap and in relationships.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
7 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
The gap is quite narrow in some places, like Delaware and Maryland, but in places like Kentucky, systemic racial barriers continue to hold people back.—
Ben Berkowitz,
Axios,
17 Feb. 2025
-
Last night’s special had a comparatively narrow focus, prioritizing the characters and celebrities that many younger viewers would recognize.—
Esther Zuckerman,
The Atlantic,
17 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
So is White taking a superficial approach to Thailand, its traditions and its tragedies, or are his insular characters?—
Daniel Fienberg,
The Hollywood Reporter,
11 Feb. 2025
-
Piper’s preference for the local culture over her family’s insular wealth evokes Fred Hechinger’s Quinn from that same year, and both Rick and Victoria come across in different ways as stand-ins for Tanya.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
11 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
The spokesman, Carlos Hernández, said the bodies of 36 men and 15 women had been sent to a provincial morgue set up for the accident.—
Reuters,
NBC News,
10 Feb. 2025
-
The plane, which was contracted by the U.S. Department of Defense, crashed in a rice field about half a mile from a cluster of farmhouses, according to Windy Beaty, a provincial disaster mitigation officer.—
Muri Assunção,
New York Daily News,
6 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Osip Mandelstam wrote a seminal essay on Dante, which is also an ars poetica, around the time that he was sent into internal exile under Stalin, and Seamus Heaney began a decades-long intimacy with the Comedy in the nineteen-seventies, as sectarian violence in Northern Ireland worsened.—
Elisa Gonzalez,
The New Yorker,
3 Feb. 2025
-
The printing press led to the Reformation but also a lot of bloody sectarian warfare.—
Stuart Miller,
Orange County Register,
3 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist By Liz Pelly The company brands itself as the ultimate curator, which is amusing considering that, for years after its 2006 founding, Spotify had little interest in playlists at all.—
Brad Shoup,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2025
-
The after: alone in a quiet kitchen, rinsing out wine glasses and marveling over how little the whole thing cost me.—
Kendra Vaculin,
Bon Appétit,
11 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near parochial
Cite this Entry
“Parochial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parochial. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share