SINCE 1828
dictionary
thesaurus

paren

noun
Save Word
pa·​ren | \ pəˈren \
plural parens

Definition of paren

: parenthesis sense 3 —usually plural There are four ways of erasing expressions in a logical statement, and one way of moving variables in and out of parens.— Clifford Barney, Electronics, 23 Dec. 1985

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

  • More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
  • Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
  • Advanced search features
  • Ad free!

History and Etymology for paren

by shortening

Learn More About paren

Dictionary Entries Near paren

paremiographer

paren

parenchyma

See More Nearby Entries 

Statistics for paren

Cite this Entry

“Paren.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paren. Accessed 4 Jul. 2022.

Style: MLA
MLACheck Mark Icon ChicagoCheck Mark Icon APACheck Mark Icon Merriam-WebsterCheck Mark Icon

WORD OF THE DAY

Yankee

Listen to the pronunciation of Yankee

See Definitions and Examples »

Test Your Vocabulary

Which Word Does Not Belong?

  • one green toy robot amidst many red toy robots
  • Which of these words does not mean "nonsense"?
Name That Thing

Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!

TAKE THE QUIZ
Universal Daily Crossword

A daily challenge for crossword fanatics.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games