PARENTHESES Meaning and
Definition
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Parentheses, also known as round brackets or curved brackets, are a punctuation mark consisting of two vertical curved lines that appear in pairs, enclosing additional information within a sentence. These marks are used primarily to set off nonessential or supplementary material that provides further explanation, clarification, or emphasis to the main text.
Parentheses are different from other punctuation marks in that they do not have a specific grammatical function but rather serve to offset additional information while maintaining sentence structure and clarity. They offer a way to isolate parenthetical phrases or clauses that can be omitted without altering the grammatical structure or meaning of the sentence. The enclosed material can be a single word, a phrase, or multiple sentences.
The information contained within parentheses is often tangential or offered as an aside, providing supplementary details, examples, or alternative explanations. It is worth noting that the content within parentheses should not disrupt the flow or coherence of the main text but rather provide additional context or enrichment to the reader.
Parentheses are commonly used in academic writing, technical documents, and informal writing styles. However, their excessive use or misuse can lead to confusion or verbosity. As such, it is essential to employ parentheses judiciously, ensuring that the additional information enhances the understanding of the main text without overwhelming the reader.
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An explanatory or qualifying clause inserted into a sentence without being grammatically connected with it, and which is frequently marked off by the upright curves ( ), often by the dash (-), or simply by a comma.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
Top Common Misspellings for PARENTHESES *
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
Other Common Misspellings for PARENTHESES
Etymology of PARENTHESES
The word "parentheses" has a Latin origin. It comes from the Latin word "parenthesis", which originated from the Greek word "parenthesis" meaning "a placing beside" or "insertion". The Greek word is derived from "para" meaning "beside" or "next to", and "en" meaning "in" or "within". This reflects the function of parentheses in writing, which is to provide additional information or clarification within a sentence or passage.
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