What does parsonage mean?
A parsonage is the residence traditionally provided for the clergyman serving a parish, especially in the Church of England. The word carries a sense of established religious and rural life: a parsonage may be an old house beside a church, with a garden, boundary walls, or rooms that have become closely associated with the local parish. In modern British usage, the term is still heard in historical, literary, and architectural contexts, particularly when discussing heritage buildings or former clergy residences. It is more specific than simply 'minister's house,' since it usually implies a parish connection and often an Anglican setting. In older writing, 'parsonage' could also mean a body or group of parsons, but that sense is now rare. The word is thus both a practical designation for a building and a cultural symbol of the traditional parish clergy.
A house or other residence provided for the clergyman or minister of a parish.
"The congregation met in the chapel at the edge of the parsonage."
Especially associated with Anglican clergy and traditional British usage; often historical or literary in modern contexts.
A group or body of parsons, especially in an ecclesiastical context.
"The history of the dispute examines the competing views of the parsonage."
This is an uncommon and largely historical sense.
Used when referring to multiple clergy residences or, in the rarer collective sense, to groups or bodies of parsons.
"Several parsonages across the county were converted into community centers."
A parsonage is more than a clergyman's address: it is a traditional house for the person whose job was to look after a parish and its community.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Words that share this root
How parsonage is actually used
The word is most familiar in British English, particularly in connection with Anglican clergy and historic church buildings. It is formal or historical in tone today and is less common in American English, where 'clergy house' or 'minister's house' may be preferred. The collective sense referring to parsons is uncommon in modern usage.
Easily confused with parsonage
A parsonage is the residence of a parish clergyman, whereas a rectory specifically denotes a benefice or living, although it can also refer to the clergyman's house in some contexts.
A vicarage is the residence of a vicar, while a parsonage is associated with a parish clergyman more generally and especially with an Anglican parson.