Parenthetic

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /pɛɹɪnˈθɛtɪk/

Definitions

1. Referring to a phrase or clause inserted within another to provide supplementary information or contextual detail
2. Pertaining to words or expressions that are added to enhance meaning, typically enclosed in parentheses, within a written context
3. Describing an element introduced inside a sentence to give extra explanation or context

Etymology: "Parenthetic" is the older, shorter form of "parenthetical," and the two have run side by side in English for centuries. The longer word was formed from the noun "parenthesis," which entered English from Late Latin "parenthesis," itself borrowed from Greek "parenthesis," meaning a putting in beside or an insertion, from "en" (in) and "tithenai" (to place). The Greek sense is literal: a phrase is placed in the middle of a sentence. The adjective "parenthetic" is usually traced to Latin "parentheticus," which carries the same idea of an insertion. The shorter English form uses the same suffix-less base, while "parenthetical" adds the adjectival ending "-al" on top of it. Dictionaries record both, and the shorter form is the more compact of the two, though the longer one is far more common today.

Synonyms: supplementary, additional, incidental, inserted, interpolated