Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

paren

noun
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

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about paren

Statistics for paren

Look-up Popularity

Comments on paren

What made you want to look up paren? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

Show Comments  Hide Comments 

WORD OF THE DAY

yen

Listen to the pronounciation of yen

a strong desire or propensity

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Test Your Vocabulary

Challenging Vocabulary Quiz Returns!

  • stylized drawing of woman pole vaulting across gap to get trophy
  • Which is a synonym of fuliginous?
How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!

TAKE THE QUIZ
SCRABBLE® Sprint

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

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