parochial

/pəˈrəʊkiəl/ (bre, ipa) · /pəˈrəʊkiəl/ (ame, ipa) · /pə-ˈrō-kē-əl/ (ame, mw)

parochial — adjective

  • parochialpositive
  • more parochialcomparative
  • most parochialsuperlative

1. connected with a parish and with the church, priest, or activities that belong t

1.形容詞C2
釋義

connected with a parish and with the church, priest, or activities that belong to that local district

例句

The parochial school next to St. Anne's church added two new classrooms.

parochial school — common church-related noun pattern

Father Theo filed the parish baptism records in the parochial office downstairs.

parochial office — church administration context

同義詞
  • ecclesiastical

    more formal and much broader — can relate to the whole church, not one parish

  • church

    plain and broad; does not specifically point to parish-level organization

  • diocesan

    relates to a bishop's larger area, not to one parish

反義詞
  • secular

    not connected with the church

  • civil

    relating to non-religious local government rather than the parish church

文法句型

parochial + noun

用法筆記

Almost always used before a noun in church settings, especially for institutions, records, councils, and buildings attached to one parish.

常見錯誤

❌The parochial bishop oversees fifty churches.
✅The diocesan bishop oversees fifty churches.
💡a bishop normally leads a diocese, which is larger than a parish.
❌The national education ministry is parochial.
✅The local church school is parochial.
💡this sense is about parish connections, not any institution in general.

2. caring too much about the small concerns of your own group, town, or country, an

2.形容詞C2
釋義

caring too much about the small concerns of your own group, town, or country, and paying too little attention to wider issues

例句

Shirin criticized the mayor's parochial plan to fund only one district.

parochial plan — too focused on one small local interest

The debate stayed parochial and ignored how the policy would affect migrants.

同義詞
  • provincial

    very close, often suggesting limited experience beyond one's own area

  • insular

    stresses being cut off from outside ideas or contacts

  • narrow-minded

    more direct and more common in everyday speech

  • small-minded

    harsher and more personal, often about petty attitudes

反義詞
  • cosmopolitan

    familiar with and open to many cultures and places

  • broad-minded

    willing to accept ideas and ways of life different from your own

  • open-minded

    ready to consider new views fairly

文法句型

parochial + noun

be parochial about + noun

用法筆記

Strongly negative. Most often used for attitudes, plans, or politics that stay inside a small local frame instead of considering the wider world. Distinguish from sense 1, which is simply about a church parish.

常見錯誤

❌Parochial weather damaged the crops.
✅Local weather damaged the crops.
💡parochial does not just mean local in place; it means narrow in outlook.
❌Her parochial outlook is very open to other cultures.
✅Her parochial outlook resists ideas from other cultures.
💡this sense always suggests a limited point of view.