parenthesis

[ puh-ren-thuh-sis ]

/ pəˈrɛn θə sɪs /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR parenthesis ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural pa·ren·the·ses [puh-ren-thuh-seez] /pəˈrɛn θəˌsiz/.

either or both of a pair of signs ( ) used in writing to mark off an interjected explanatory or qualifying remark, to indicate separate groupings of symbols in mathematics and symbolic logic, etc.

Usually parentheses. the material contained within these marks.

Grammar. a qualifying, explanatory, or appositive word, phrase, clause, or sentence that interrupts a syntactic construction without otherwise affecting it, having often a characteristic intonation and indicated in writing by commas, parentheses, or dashes, as in William Smith—you must know him—is coming tonight.

an interval.

Nearby words

parental leave, parenteral, parenteric fever, parentese, parentheses, parenthesis, parenthesize, parenthetical, parenthood, parenticide, parenting

Origin of parenthesis

1560–70; < Late Latin < Greek parénthesis a putting in beside. See par-, en-², thesis

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for parentheses

On my computer, there was a contented little stream of smiley faces, made from colons and parentheses.
First Lady Michelle Obama’s Magnum Opus|Patricia J. Williams|September 5, 2012|DAILY BEAST
On some reading devices, inline stage directions are set off from the text by parentheses added by the transcriber.
The Fatal Dowry|Philip Massinger
I wish to add one remark, here—in parentheses, so to speak—suggested by the word "snowy," which I have just used.
A Tramp Abroad, Complete|Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)
These lines are called parenthesis, marks of parenthesis, or parentheses.
Why We Punctuate|William Livingston Klein

Numbers in parentheses designate authors or publications cited in the list of references.
The Grapes of New York|U. P. Hedrick
For photographs of architecture give name of city followed by country in parentheses.
A Library Primer|John Cotton Dana

British Dictionary definitions for parentheses

parenthesis

/ (pəˈrɛnθɪsɪs) /

noun plural -ses (-ˌsiːz)

a phrase, often explanatory or qualifying, inserted into a passage with which it is not grammatically connected, and marked off by brackets, dashes, etc

Also called: bracket either of a pair of characters, (), used to enclose such a phrase or as a sign of aggregation in mathematical or logical expressions

an intervening occurrence; interlude; interval

in parenthesis inserted as a parenthesis

Derived Forms

parenthetic (ˌpærənˈθɛtɪk) or parenthetical, adjectiveparenthetically, adverb

Word Origin for parenthesis

C16: via Late Latin from Greek: something placed in besides, from parentithenai, from para- 1 + en- ² + tithenai to put

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Culture definitions for parentheses

parentheses

Punctuation marks — ( ) — used to separate elements in a sentence. Parentheses subordinate (see subordination) the material within them so that readers save most of their attention for the rest of the sentence: “Aunt Sarah (who is really my mother's cousin) will be visiting next week.”