VocabularyBasePractice words

Meaning & use

parish council

noun·AcademicBritish

Last updated

UK/ˈpærɪʃ ˈkaʊnsl/
US/ˈperɪʃ ˈkaʊnsl/

Meanings

  1. nouncountableBritish

    The lowest level of elected local government in England, which looks after small matters in a village or a small area.

    Grammar: Used with a/the, and can take a singular or plural verb in British English.

    Patterns

    • the parish council of somewhere
    • a parish council meeting

    The parish council voted to repair the village hall roof.

    Residents asked the parish council for a new bench by the green.

    She was elected to the parish council last spring.

  2. nouncountablereligion

    A committee of church members who help the priest manage the affairs of a local church parish.

    Grammar: Used about church matters, not civil government.

    Patterns

    • the parish council of a church

    The church parish council discussed the cost of fixing the bell tower.

    He serves on the parish council and helps plan the harvest supper.

    The parish council approved the new schedule of services.

Word forms

pluralparish councils

Common combinations

parish council meeting
The parish council meeting was held in the village hall.
parish council election
There was only one candidate in the parish council election.
serve on the parish council
He has served on the parish council for twelve years.
parish council clerk
The parish council clerk keeps the minutes.
write to the parish council
Neighbors wrote to the parish council about the noise.

Synonyms and how they differ

town council
A town council is the same tier in larger communities, with the same legal basis but a bigger area.
village council
Village council is a general descriptive term, while parish council is the official legal title in England.
local authority
Local authority is a broad term covering county and district councils, and is much larger than a parish council.

Word family

parish noun
a small local area with its own church or council
parishioner noun
a member of a church parish
parochial adjective
relating to a parish, or narrow-minded
councillor noun
an elected council member

Commonly confused: parish council or counsel?

parish council vs counsel

Counsel means advice or a lawyer, while council is a group that governs or advises; the parish body is always a council.

Practice

In England, which body handles small village matters such as a playground or a bench?

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “parish council”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Your sentence stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.

Explore more words