Robert S. Anson
Did you know?
If parse brings up memories of learning the parts of speech in school, you've done your homework regarding this word. Parsing sentences, after all, is part and parcel of learning to read and write. Parse comes from the first element of the Latin term for "part of speech," pars orationis. It's an old word that has been used since at least the mid 1500s, but it was not until the late 1700s that parse graduated to its extended, non-grammar-related sense of "to examine in a minute way" or "to analyze critically." Remember this extended sense, and you'll really be at the head of the class.
Examples of parse in a Sentence
Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 8 Nov. 2025
In my experience, one viewing at the New York Film Festival was not enough to parse the film’s gorgeous riddles and meditation on cinema as a dream machine.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 6 Nov. 2025
Elite politics has become so opaque under his rule that pundits look for any clue for China’s direction – from parsing Xi’s words for their real meaning to assessing the color of his hair.
—Chris Lau, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025
Few consumers relish the thought of reading a credit report, shopping for car insurance or parsing a bank statement.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 2 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for parse
Cite this Entry
“Parse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/parse. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.
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