parenthesis

/pəˈrɛnθəsɪs/
noun
  1. Either of a pair of curved marks ( ) used in writing to enclose additional information or an aside.
    • The author put the date in parentheses at the end of the sentence.
    • She added a quick explanation inside a parenthesis to clarify her point.
    • When you read the poem aloud, pause slightly at each parenthesis.
  2. A remark or passage that departs from the main subject; an aside or digression.
    • The professor made a brief parenthesis about the history of the building before returning to the lecture.
    • His speech was full of humorous parentheses that kept the audience laughing.
    • I apologize for that parenthesis — I got carried away with the story.
  3. An interlude or interval; a period of time that is different from what surrounds it.
    • The years abroad felt like a parenthesis in her otherwise quiet life.
    • After the war, there was a brief parenthesis of peace before tensions rose again.
    • His retirement was a happy parenthesis between two demanding careers.
What does "parenthesis" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean