Dictionary

parenthesis en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /pəˈɹɛn.θə.sɪs/
• (US) audio

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Late Latin parenthesis (“addition of a letter to a syllable in a word”), itself borrowed from Ancient Greek παρένθεσις (parénthesis, “insertion”). By surface analysis, par- + en- + thesis.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) A clause, phrase or word which is inserted (usually for explanation or amplification) into a passage which is already grammatically complete, and usually marked off with brackets, commas or dashes.
   • How expressive this little parenthesis: "Sakuntalâ makes a chiding gesture with her finger"! 1903, Karl Mantzius, A History of Theatrical Art in Ancient and Modern Times, page 86:
2. (countable, uncountable) Either of a pair of brackets, especially (mainly US) round brackets, ( and ) (used to enclose parenthetical material in a text).
   • [T]he present research also made an effort to approach a greater accuracy in presenting the original sources of borrowed words. This was achieved by presenting etymons from Hindustani in the Devanagari script followed by a transliteration in the Roman alphabet in parentheses. 2018, James Lambert, “Anglo-Indian slang in dictionaries on historical principles”, in World Englishes, volume 37, page 255:
   • Whoever introduced the several points, it seems that a full-point, a point called come, answering to our colon-point, a point called virgil answering to our comma-point, the parenthesis-points and interrogative-point, were used at the close of the fourteenth, or beginning of the fifteenth century. 1842, F. Francillon, An Essay on Punctuation, page 9:
   • There be five manner of points and divisions most used among cunning men; the which if they be well used, make the sentence very light and easy to be understood, both to the reader and hearer: and they be these, virgil,—come,—parenthesis,—plain point,—interrogative[…] it is a slender stroke leaning forward, betokening a little short rest, without any perfectness yet of sentence. 1824, John Johnson, Typographia, Or the Printer's Instructor, London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, Brown and Green:
3. (countable, rhetoric, uncountable) A digression; the use of such digressions.
   • Ryan Bingham (George Clooney): I thought I was a part of your life. Alex Goran (Vera Farmiga): I thought we signed up for the same thing[…] I thought our relationship was perfectly clear. You are an escape. You're a break from our normal lives. You're a parenthesis. Ryan Bingham (George Clooney): I'm a parenthesis? 2009, Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner, Up in the Air:
   • Mr. Trevanion was one of those talkers, who are too much engrossed with their own subject matter to have much attention to bestow elsewhere; with them silence is attention. Ethel's wandering eye, and lip, tremulous with its effort to speak, would never have attracted his notice. To his utter astonishment, she interrupted a parenthesis, as brilliant as the rocket which it depicted, by saying,— "Mr. Trevanion, I do not know what you will think of my boldness, but I must speak to you." 1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XV, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 113:
4. (countable, uncountable) Such brackets as used to clarify expressions by grouping those terms affected by a common operator, or to enclose the components of a vector or the elements of a matrix.

Forms

Deriveds

pregnant parenthesis · parenthesome

Relateds

parenthetical · parenthesize · triple parentheses · parenthetic · parenthesis-point · parenthesise · parentheme

Synonyms

parenthesis-point (brackets) · apposition ((can be a) parenthetical expression) · round bracket (brackets) · parathesis ((can be a) parenthetical expression) · paren · parentheme

Translations (169)

gl paréntese (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · la uncae (both round brackets) · fr parenthèse (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · cmn 圓括號 /圆括号 (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · cy cromfach (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · tg қавс (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · bg ско́ба ((mathematics, logic) brackets used to clarify expressions by grouping terms affected by a common operator) · be ду́жка (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · kum жая (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · gd eadar-ràdh (a clause, phrase or word inserted into a passage which is already grammatically complete) · fi sulkeet ((mathematics, logic) brackets used to clarify expressions by grouping terms affected by a common operator) · ka ფრჩხილი (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · gl paréntese (a clause, phrase or word inserted into a passage which is already grammatically complete) · fa پَرانتِز (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · da parentes ((mathematics, logic) brackets used to clarify expressions by grouping terms affected by a common operator) · fi parenteesi (a clause, phrase or word inserted into a passage which is already grammatically complete) · kw krommvagh (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · hu közbevetés (a clause, phrase or word inserted into a passage which is already grammatically complete) · ug تىرناق (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · yi קלאַמער (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · lb Klamer (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · ru отступле́ние ((rhetoric) a digression; the use of such digressions) · fi sulkumerkki (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · ro paranteză (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · pl nawias ((mathematics, logic) brackets used to clarify expressions by grouping terms affected by a common operator) · my လက်သည်းကွင်း (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · vi ngoặc đơn (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · de Einschub (a clause, phrase or word inserted into a passage which is already grammatically complete) · eo parentezo (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · gd eadar-aisneis (a clause, phrase or word inserted into a passage which is already grammatically complete) · ar حشو (a clause, phrase or word inserted into a passage which is already grammatically complete) · km វង់ក្រចក (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · ur قَوس (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · fr parenthèses (both round brackets) · gl parénteses (both round brackets) · el παρένθεση (a clause, phrase or word inserted into a passage which is already grammatically complete) · kk жақша (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · pt parênteses (both round brackets) · nl haakje ((mathematics, logic) brackets used to clarify expressions by grouping terms affected by a common operator) · ga lúibín (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · pt parêntese (a clause, phrase or word inserted into a passage which is already grammatically complete) · ba йәйә (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · ru вво́дное сло́во (a clause, phrase or word inserted into a passage which is already grammatically complete) · tr parantez (both round brackets) · da parentes (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · tt җәя (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · ru ско́бка (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · uk ду́жка (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · el παρένθεση ((mathematics, logic) brackets used to clarify expressions by grouping terms affected by a common operator) · kmr kevan (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · pl nawias (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · sv parentes (a clause, phrase or word inserted into a passage which is already grammatically complete) · de runde Klammer ((mathematics, logic) brackets used to clarify expressions by grouping terms affected by a common operator) · el παρένθεση ((rhetoric) a digression; the use of such digressions) · fo klombur (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · fi sulku (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · cmn 插入語 /插入语 (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · ja 括弧 (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · tl panaklong (a clause, phrase or word inserted into a passage which is already grammatically complete) · ka მრგვალი ფრჩხილები (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · ms kurung (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · hy միջանկյալ բառ (a clause, phrase or word inserted into a passage which is already grammatically complete) · nl parenthese (a clause, phrase or word inserted into a passage which is already grammatically complete) · cs vsuvka (a clause, phrase or word inserted into a passage which is already grammatically complete) · sk zátvorka (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · da parentes (both round brackets) · es paréntesis (a clause, phrase or word inserted into a passage which is already grammatically complete) · mi taiepa (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · ro paranteză (a clause, phrase or word inserted into a passage which is already grammatically complete) · ca parèntesis (both round brackets) · az mötərizə (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · cs závorka (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · vi ngoặc (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · tr parantez (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · pl parenteza ((rhetoric) a digression; the use of such digressions) · bg кръ́гли ско́би (both round brackets) · fr parenthèse ((rhetoric) a digression; the use of such digressions) · fa قَوس (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · ru кру́глая ско́бка (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · is svigi (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · pl wtrącenie ((rhetoric) a digression; the use of such digressions) · hy միջանկյալ նախադասություն (a clause, phrase or word inserted into a passage which is already grammatically complete) · it parentesi (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · sv parentes (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · ru отклоне́ние ((rhetoric) a digression; the use of such digressions) · mi taiepa pewa (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · sq kllapë (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · sh за̑града (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · grc παρένθεσις (a clause, phrase or word inserted into a passage which is already grammatically complete) · lt skliausteliai (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · ru ско́бки (both round brackets) · hy փակագծեր (both round brackets) · lo ນະຂາລິຂິດ (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · tr ayraç (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · mi taiepa (when preceded by plural 'ngā') (both round brackets) · gl paréntese ((mathematics, logic) brackets used to clarify expressions by grouping terms affected by a common operator) · ar قَوْس m (plural: أَقْوَاس m pl, قَوْسَانِ (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · la unca (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · bg ско́бка (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · fr parenthèse (a clause, phrase or word inserted into a passage which is already grammatically complete) · hu zárójel (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · hy փակագծեր ((mathematics, logic) brackets used to clarify expressions by grouping terms affected by a common operator) · fi sulje (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · mk заграда (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · tk ýaý (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · nb parentes (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · lv iekavas (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · fi sulut (both round brackets) · tr parantez ((mathematics, logic) brackets used to clarify expressions by grouping terms affected by a common operator) · cmn 括號 /括号 ((mathematics, logic) brackets used to clarify expressions by grouping terms affected by a common operator) · gl paréntese ((rhetoric) a digression; the use of such digressions) · nl haakje (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · sa कोष्ठक (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · pt parêntese ((rhetoric) a digression; the use of such digressions) · bg ско́ба (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · es paréntesis ((rhetoric) a digression; the use of such digressions) · hy փակագիծ (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · ga idiraisnéis (a clause, phrase or word inserted into a passage which is already grammatically complete) · lv apaļās iekavas (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · lo ວົງເລັບ (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · es paréntesis (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · fa کمانویسه (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · el παρένθεση (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · be ско́бка (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · ko 괄호 (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · cy cromfachau (both round brackets) · ms tanda kurung (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · de runde Klammer (both round brackets) · gd camag (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · el παρενθέσεις (both round brackets) · lv iespraudums (a clause, phrase or word inserted into a passage which is already grammatically complete) · de Parenthese (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · th ความแทรก (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · et kiillause (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · cmn 括弧 (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · pl nawiasy (both round brackets) · sl oklepáj (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · fr parenthèses ((mathematics, logic) brackets used to clarify expressions by grouping terms affected by a common operator) · sh zȃgrada (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · nl haakjes (both round brackets) · fi sulkumerkit (both round brackets) · et kiil (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · ga lúibíní (both round brackets) · fi sulkeet (both round brackets) · he סוֹגֵר (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · ml വലയം (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · bg вмъ́кната ду́ма (a clause, phrase or word inserted into a passage which is already grammatically complete) · ky кашаа (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · tg қавсайн (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · ta அடைப்புக்குறிகள் (both round brackets) · th นขลิขิต (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · mn хаалт (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · ps قوس (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · uz qavs (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · uz skobka (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · hi कोष्ठक (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · pt parêntese (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · ca parèntesi (a clause, phrase or word inserted into a passage which is already grammatically complete) · eo rondaj krampoj (both round brackets) · ta அடைப்புக்குறி (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · sa आवरण (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · fa قُلّاب (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · kw krommvaghow (both round brackets) · de Klammer (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · ca parèntesi (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · de runde Klammer (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · lt skliaustai (either of a pair of brackets ( )) · es paréntesis ((mathematics, logic) brackets used to clarify expressions by grouping terms affected by a common operator) · de Parenthese (a clause, phrase or word inserted into a passage which is already grammatically complete)