Meaning & use

parentheses

noun·Everyday

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

brackets

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Make it your own

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