parenthesis
[ puh-ren-thuh-sis ]
/ pəˈrɛn θə sɪs /
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.
Words nearby parenthesis
parental leave,
parenteral,
parenteric fever,
parentese,
parentheses,
parenthesis,
parenthesize,
parenthetical,
parenthood,
parenticide,
parenting
Example sentences from the Web for parentheses
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 of parenthesis
parenthetic (ˌpærənˈθɛtɪk) or parenthetical, adjective parenthetically, adverbWord Origin for parenthesis
C16: via Late Latin from Greek: something placed in besides, from
parentithenai, from
para-
1 +
en- ² +
tithenai to put
Cultural 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.”