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Glite Dictionary
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parenthetical

parenthetical

3 7.1
A remark that gives short extra information inside parentheses
  • adjective
  • /ˌpɛrənˈθɛtɪkəl/
translation icon : paréntesis
  • Each learning area is followed by a brief parenthetical description to help parents understand exactly what each area covers.
  • parenthetical remark
  • parenthetical reference
  • parenthetical comment

Examples

  • The practice of entextualization occurs frequently in the social sciences, where, for example, parenthetical citations serve as convenient shorthand.

    Academic text (2013)

  • Without those three parenthetical clarifications, the poem could be read as serious.

    Academic text (2004)

  • The PowerPoint slides are created to look like note cards with a space for the information required in a parenthetical citation.

    Academic text (2010)

  • See the parenthetical comment in the passage cited in the following footnote.

    Academic text (2017)

  • All parenthetical references to Philip Seymour are taken from the first edition of the novel.

    Academic text (2012)

  • I should take a moment to gloss the parenthetical "and not something else" as it functions in The Plural I.

    Academic text (2017)

  • The prim tone clashes nicely with the realism of the parenthetical phrases in this poem.

    Academic text (2004)

  • The editor added several parenthetical comments to give readers more context about the story.

  • In her essay, she used parenthetical phrases to clarify her points and enhance the reader's understanding.

  • He included a parenthetical note to explain why he chose to reference that specific study.

Synonyms

parenthetic
vsparenthetical
8.4

An extra remark that explains something but is not part of the main point

does not state whether the comment is essential or not

Antonyms

main
∞ 1.0

Most important or central in a situation

Compounds

parenthetical expression
7.0

Words or a short phrase added inside a sentence to give extra information without changing its meaning

How Essential

essential
537 1.9
explanatory
28 3.8
parenthetical
3 7.1
peripheral
16 6.5

Surface Forms

parenthetical positive

Morphology

parenthetical = parenthesis (transparent) = parenthesis + al

The adjective is transparently built from 'parenthesis' plus '-al', with the meaning 'relating to parentheses' following the usual pattern.

Etymology

Parenthetical comes from Greek parts para- 'beside' and -thesis 'placing', so a parenthetical remark is one 'placed beside' the main idea, like an 'aside' that explains or adds detail without changing the main point.