Meaning & use
circle brackets
Last updated
Meaning
nounpluralBritish
the pair of curved punctuation marks ( ) used to add extra information or an explanation inside a sentence.
Grammar: Always plural; use 'a pair of circle brackets' for one set.
Patterns
- in circle brackets
- put something in circle brackets
Her date of birth is given in circle brackets after her name.
Put the page number in circle brackets at the bottom.
Everything inside the circle brackets can be left out and the sentence still works.
Common combinations
- in circle brackets
- Write the source in circle brackets at the end of the quote.
- open circle brackets
- Open circle brackets after the author's name.
- close circle brackets
- Don't forget to close circle brackets before the full stop.
- a pair of circle brackets
- Add a pair of circle brackets around the extra detail.
Synonyms and how they differ
- parentheses
- The normal American term for the same marks; British writers also use it in formal or technical texts.
- round brackets
- A common British alternative; it contrasts with square brackets [ ].
Word family
Commonly confused: circle brackets or square brackets? circle brackets or braces?
circle brackets vs square brackets
Square brackets [ ] are straight and are used for edits or missing words; circle brackets ( ) are curved and add extra detail.
circle brackets vs braces
Braces { } are curly marks used mainly in mathematics and computing, not for ordinary sentences.
Practice
Which sentence uses circle brackets correctly?
Choose one answer.
Extra information added inside a sentence goes in circle brackets ( ). Square brackets are for editorial changes, braces are for technical notation, and quotation marks show someone's exact words.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “circle brackets”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.