parenthetical

adjective

par·​en·​thet·​i·​cal ˌper-ən-ˈthe-ti-kəl 

ˌpa-rən-

variants or less commonly parenthetic

ˌper-ən-ˈthe-tik 

ˌpa-rən-

1

a

: of, relating to, or expressed in a parenthesis

a parenthetical remark/comment/note

One sentence runs on for nearly two pages; other sentences meander through the potholes of so many parenthetical expressions as to make it nearly impossible to follow the trail of the argument …

—James Q. Wilson

In a construction of this sort, the phrase "the coach said" should be regarded as a parenthetical insert and should be implicitly thought of as flanked by commas.

—Samuel R. Levin

… his travel diaries were notable for their erratic punctuation, parenthetic embellishments and an extraordinary way with adjectives.

—William Dalrymple

b

: enclosed in parentheses

a foreign word followed by a parenthetical translation

The recuperating Yankees have a parenthetical medical problem that is now part of each player's name: Hernández (elbow), Pettitte (elbow), Rivera (ankle), Mendoza (shoulder), O'Neill (foot), Justice (groin), Jeter (hamstring), Knoblauch (elbow). Put them together and it spells Yankees (problems).

—Dave Anderson

2

: containing parentheses : using or given to using parentheses

a parenthetical style

parenthetically

ˌper-ən-ˈthe-ti-k(ə-)lē 

ˌpa-rən-

adverb

"They are a good nucleus of ideas for me," she says, adding, almost parenthetically, "Of course you have to know a lot about medicine to understand them."

—Publishers Weekly

Examples of parenthetical in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For instance, François Boucher’s eighteenth-century paintings of toddlers engaged in the work of scientists, artists, and philosophers previously formed an odd parenthetical downstairs. —Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2025

His motives for the project are laid out in the title’s parenthetical. —Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 24 Jan. 2025

But Questlove unexpectedly leans heavier on his title’s parenthetical addendum in order to illuminate some deeper truths about the challenges of stardom (especially for Black artists) that may have started with Stone, but which still persist today. —Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 23 Jan. 2025

Matthews devotes one parenthetical sentence claiming rocket launches hurt coastal wildlife. —Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024

The intrigue: The Poynter Institute — which owns the Tampa Bay Times — gave the paper's decision only a parenthetical reference in an article published Monday about regional publications that made similar calls. —Yacob Reyes, Axios, 28 Oct. 2024

Yes, that parenthetical, fourth wall-breaking note is literally in there. —Paul Tassi, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024

However, one parenthetical seemed like an unfair characterization. —The New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2024

The parenthetical statements are in Stevens’ complaint. —Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 3 Jan. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1624, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for parenthetical

• alphabetical
• antithetical
• arithmetical
• catechetical
• exegetical
• homiletical
• hypothetical
• theoretical
• aesthetical
• genetical
• heretical
• magnetical