Meaning & use
parentheses
Last updated
A pair of curved punctuation marks, ( ), used to enclose extra or clarifying information within a sentence.
See it in a sentence
He added a joke in parentheses at the end of his email.
The author's date of birth was listed in parentheses next to her name.
A note on using this word
"Parentheses" is the plural form, since the marks always come in pairs; the singular is "parenthesis."
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “parentheses”, then compare your use with the examples above.