civil parish

English

Etymology

The word parish for a local area of church and/or government authority predates rigorous modern distinctions between ecclesiastical and civil affairs. The term civil parish uses intentional pleonasm, in a way that natural language sometimes does, to easily and efficiently ensure clarity through disambiguation. By the same underlying principle, the term ecclesiastical parish is retronymic.

Noun

civil parish (plural civil parishes)

  2. In any of various countries, an administrative subdivision of an area, often of a county.
    Synonym: parish (elliptically synonymous)
    Coordinate terms: district, municipality, township, prefecture; county (often holonymous)
    2. A civil subdivision of a British county, often corresponding to an earlier ecclesiastical parish; a similar subdivision in Ireland.
      Synonym: parish (elliptically synonymous)

Usage notes

Civil parishes in Wales were replaced by communities, and those in Scotland by community council areas.

Synonyms

  • CP (abbreviation used on large-scale OS maps)
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