bracket

1 of 2

noun

brack·​et ˈbra-kət 

1

: an overhanging member that projects from a structure (such as a wall) and is usually designed to support a vertical load or to strengthen an angle

2

: a fixture (as for holding a lamp) projecting from a wall or column

3

a

: one of a pair of marks [ ] used in writing and printing to enclose matter or in mathematics and logic as signs of aggregation

called also square bracket

b

: one of the pair of marks 〈 〉 used to enclose matter

called also angle bracket

c

: parenthesis sense 3

d

: brace sense 2b

4

: a section of a continuously numbered or graded series (such as age ranges or income levels)

5

: a pairing of opponents in an elimination tournament

bracket

2 of 2

verb

bracketed; bracketing; brackets

transitive verb

1

a

: to place within or as if within brackets

editorial comments are bracketed

news stories bracketed by commercials

… held most dear the familiar urban landscape bracketed by the Charles and Neponset rivers …

—Andy Kendall

b

: to eliminate from consideration

bracket off politics

c

: to extend around so as to encompass : include

… test pressures … which bracket virtually the entire range of passenger-car tire pressures.

—Consumer Reports

2

: to furnish or fasten with brackets

3

: to put in the same category or group

bracketed in a tie for third

4

a

: to get the range on (a target) by firing over and short

b

: to establish the limits of

bracketed the problem neatly

c

: to take photographs of at more than one exposure in order to ensure that the desired exposure is obtained

Synonyms of bracket

Noun

• type
• category
• kind

Verb

• compare
• equate

Examples of bracket in a Sentence

Noun

The shelf is held up with two brackets.

There are wall brackets in the garage for the rakes and shovels.

She is taller than average for her age bracket.

He earned enough to put him in a higher tax bracket.

She is now in a lower income bracket than before.

Verb

I wouldn't exactly bracket your paintings with those of Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The actual bracket will be created on December 7 and if this sport has taught us anything this season, things escalate quickly. —Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2025

On Tuesday night, ESPN revealed what the first bracket would look like if the playoffs were held after Week 10. —Jordan Sigler, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025

Verb

The helicopter, its body on the stairwell bannister, was wedged between the trees and the lampposts bracketing the entrance to the stairs. —Sydney Barragan, Oc Register, 12 Oct. 2025

The house, wood-frame with a low brick façade in front, bracketed the back-yard pool, with upstairs bedrooms at both ends. —T. Coraghessan Boyle, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

perhaps from Middle French braguette codpiece, from diminutive of brague breeches, from Old Occitan braga, from Latin braca, of Celtic origin — more at breech

First Known Use

Noun

1574, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1836, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing bracket

• angle bracket
• bracket creep
• bracket fungus
• curly bracket
• square bracket

Rhymes for bracket

• jacket
• packet
• racket
• racquet
• straitjacket

Kids Definition

bracket

1 of 2 noun

brack·​et ˈbrak-ət 

1

: a support for a shelf or other weight usually attached to a wall

2

: a short wall shelf

3

a

: one of a pair of marks [ ] used to enclose words or mathematical symbols to be taken together

called also square bracket

b

: one of a pair of marks 〈 〉

—used to enclose written or printed matter

called also angle bracket

4

: class entry 1 sense 3a, group

especially : one of a series of groups sorted according to income

5

: a pairing of opponents in an elimination tournament

bracket

2 of 2 verb

1

: to place within or as if within brackets

2

: to put into the same class : associate