Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Parenthesis
Pa-ren′the-sis
(pȧ-rĕn′thē̍-sĭs)
, Noun.
pl.
Parentheses
(#)
. 1.
A word, phrase, or sentence, by way of comment or explanation, inserted in, or attached to, a sentence which would be grammatically complete without it. It is usually inclosed within curved lines (see def. 2 below), or dashes.
“Seldom mentioned without a derogatory parenthesis.” Sir T. Browne.
Don’t suffer every occasional thought to carry you away into a long
parenthesis
. Watts.
2.
(Print.)
One of the curved lines () which inclose a parenthetic word or phrase.
☞ Parenthesis, in technical grammar, is that part of a sentence which is inclosed within the recognized sign; but many phrases and sentences which are punctuated by commas are logically parenthetical. In def. 1, the phrase “by way of comment or explanation” is inserted for explanation, and the sentence would be grammatically complete without it. The present tendency is to avoid using the distinctive marks, except when confusion would arise from a less conspicuous separation.
Webster 1828 Edition
Parenthesis
PAREN'THESIS
,Noun.
These officers, whom they still call bishops, are to be elected to a provision comparatively mean, through the same arts, (that is, electioneering arts,) by men of all religious tenets that are known or can be invented.
Do not suffer every occasional thought to carry you away into a long parenthesis.
Definition 2024
parenthesis
parenthesis
English
Noun
parenthesis (plural parentheses)
- 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.
- Either of a pair of brackets, especially round brackets, ( and ) (used to enclose parenthetical material in a text).
- 1824, J. Johnson, Typographia:
- 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.
- 1842, F. Francillon, An Essay on Punctuation, p. 9:
- 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.
- 1824, J. Johnson, Typographia:
- (rhetoric) A digression; the use of such digressions.
- 2009, Up in the air:
- Ryan Bingham: I thought I was a part of your life. Alex Goran: 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: I'm a parenthesis?
- 2009, Up in the air:
- (mathematics, logic) 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.
Synonyms
- (clause, phrase or word): parenthetical expression
- (brackets): round bracket; parenthesis-point (obsolete)
- paren (abbreviation, for the meaning "round bracket")
- See also Wikisaurus:bracket
Derived terms
Translations
a clause, phrase or word inserted into a passage which is already grammatically complete
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(Rhetoric) a digression; the use of such digressions
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either of a pair of brackets ( )
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both round brackets
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(mathematics, logic) brackets used to clarify expressions by grouping terms affected by a common operator