Plural of parson; priests or ministers, especially those serving a parish church.
From Old French 'persone' (person), derived from Latin 'persona' (human being, character in a play). Priests were called 'persons' because they represented the parish community.
A 'parson' is literally a 'person'—medieval churches used this title because the priest was considered the representative or 'personification' of the entire parish. The word 'persona' came from theatrical masks that 'played' characters.
Historically, 'parson' was exclusively male clergy, as women were barred from ordination in most Christian traditions until the 20th century. The term reflects gendered access to religious authority.
Use 'clergy,' 'minister,' or 'priest' for gender-neutral reference; use 'parson' only in historical context. When discussing women's exclusion, name it explicitly.
["clergy member","minister","priest","religious leader"]
Women fought for and won ordination and clergy roles across denominations despite institutional resistance; many Christian traditions still deny women equal spiritual authority. Their theological contributions were long excluded from official record.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.