Main Entry: par·al·lel·ism

Pronunciation: \ˈpa-rə-ˌle-ˌli-zəm, -lə-ˌli-\

Function: noun

Date: 1610

1 : the quality or state of being parallel
2 : resemblance, correspondence
3 : repeated syntactical similarities introduced for rhetorical effect
4 : a theory that mind and matter accompany one another but are not causally related
5 : the independent development of a similar trait in related species or lineages following divergence from a common ancestor