parenthetical expression
- noun
- /ˌpɛrənˈθɛtɪkəl ɪkˈsprɛʃən/
:
expresión entre paréntesis
- During the lecture, he added a parenthetical expression to clarify his main point for the audience.
Examples
-
In her essay, she included a parenthetical expression to explain the historical context of the event.
-
Poe, says Stauffer, "consistently uses parenthetical expressions in 'Ligeia' to emphasize or heighten the mood."
Academic text (1999) -
The author often uses a parenthetical expression to add humor to the narrative without breaking the flow of the story.
Synonyms
1
5.3
A short remark added in speech or writing to give extra information
1
7.5
A short remark put in parentheses inside a sentence
Antonyms
How Essential
- Formal
58
3.8
- Specialized
- Literature
7
5.5
- Informal
17
6.1
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'parenthetical' means an incidental or qualifying remark and 'expression' means a way of communicating, so together they denote an incidental remark or phrase inserted into a sentence. This adjective+noun formation follows a regular, cross-linguistically common pattern, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should be able to infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
The noun parenthetical expression is a short expression put into a sentence as a 'side note' that is tucked in and does not change the main sentence. So, a parenthetical expression gives 'extra information' without changing the sentence meaning.