parenthesis

noun

pə-ˈren(t)-thə-səs How to pronounce parenthesis (audio)
Definition of parenthesisnext
as in interval
a break in continuity there was a parenthesis of silence when the microphone momentarily lost power

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of parenthesis Top 10 With records through Monday and previous rankings in parentheses. — Steve Millar, Chicago Tribune, 25 May 2026 The prose is hypnotic, all the more so for its many digressions and parentheses, unveiling tiny set pieces like so many Fabergé eggs. — Literary Hub, 13 May 2026 Salary values for 2026-27 in parentheses. — Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 8 May 2026 The last two highlight lines alter the way Vim highlights matching parentheses by changing the highlight method to an underline instead of a big full-height cursor-emulating block. — Lee Hutchinson, ArsTechnica, 6 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for parenthesis
Recent Examples of Synonyms for parenthesis
  1. interval
  2. interruption
  3. hiatus
  4. pause
  5. gap
Noun
  • The democratization of private credit through interval funds and other retail-accessible vehicles has created access, but not necessarily access to the same deal quality available to the largest institutional investors.
    — Jason Kirsch, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
  • Although the numbers on the chassis were divided into various unrelated intervals, the transmissions appeared to be numbered sequentially, as were the tank guns, heaters, road wheels and turret engines.
    — Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 7 July 2026
Definition of interval
Noun
  • Research at the University of California, Irvine in 2008 found that returning to full focus after an interruption can take an average of 23 minutes.
    — Faustino Júnior, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
  • In February 2025, Musk admitted DOGE accidentally ended—and then quickly restored—funding for Ebola prevention, saying there was no interruption to programming.
    — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 6 July 2026
Definition of interruption
Noun
  • In an interview with Rolling Stone, Mandagi and Dundas reflect on their hiatus, return to the studio, and creating an album free of expectation.
    — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 10 July 2026
  • After ending a 15-year recording hiatus with 2017’s Now, Twain returned again in 2023 with Queen of Me, which launched a massive international arena tour.
    — SPIN Staff, SPIN, 10 July 2026
Definition of hiatus
Noun
  • In a text message to the Star-Telegram, Crain argued the pause would give Fort Worth the opportunity to create a framework that could serve as a model for other cities confronting similar challenges.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 July 2026
  • The move follows an inspector general audit urging a pause on new deployments and contracts until enforceable privacy, security and oversight rules are in place.
    — Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2026
Definition of pause
Noun
  • That gap means people who don’t have consistent access to healthy food also aren’t getting help.
    — Laura Horne, Charlotte Observer, 10 July 2026
  • The report also estimates that of the 75 million global garment and textile workers, 75 percent of that workforce are women facing a 41 percent wage gap versus the adequate standard of living, as of 2025.
    — Jennifer Bringle, Footwear News, 10 July 2026
Definition of gap

Browse Nearby Words

parentheses
parenthesis
parenthetically
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Parenthesis.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parenthesis. Accessed 15 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on parenthesis

Nglish: Translation of parenthesis for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about parenthesis

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All