parish register

parish register

The priest carefully records a baptism in the parish register.

Definition
  1. Noun (countable):
    • A parish register is an official record book kept by a church parish that documents important life events such as baptisms, marriages, and burials occurring within that parish's jurisdiction.
Usage Examples
  • (The record book of births, marriages, and deaths in the local church district.)
  • (The church's official log of vital events.)
  • (The official entry in the church's book of records.)
Advanced Usage

  • "to consult a parish register": to refer to the official church record for genealogical or historical research.

    • Genealogists often consult the parish register to verify family lineages. (They look through the church's book for ancestral data.)

  • "parish register entry": a single record within the register documenting one event (e.g., a baptism, marriage, or burial).

    • The parish register entry for the baptism was dated 12 June 1845. (The specific line in the book recording the baptism.)
Variants and Related Words

  • Parish (noun): a local church community or its geographical area.

    • Our parish covers several villages in the countryside. (The district served by a single church.)

  • Register (noun/verb): a formal list or record; to record officially.

    • The school keeps a register of all students. (A list of names.)

  • Registrar (noun): an official who maintains records, especially of births, marriages, and deaths.

    • The registrar at the church updates the parish register regularly. (The person responsible for the records.)
Synonyms
  • Church register: a record book kept by a church for vital events.
  • Parochial register: an older term for the same concept, often used in historical contexts.
Related Idioms

  • "In the parish register": used to indicate something is officially documented in church records.

    • His birth is noted in the parish register of 1901. (His birth is officially recorded in the church book.)

  • "To be entered in the parish register": to have one's life event (baptism, marriage, burial) officially recorded.

    • All marriages in the village were entered in the parish register. (They were formally written in the church book.)