parenthesize

P3A1R1E1N1T1H4E1S1I1Z10E1
UK/pəˈɹɛnθ.ə.saɪz/

verb

To place text in parentheses.

OriginEnglish parenthesis ← Late Latin parenthesi ← Koine Greek πᾰρένθεσῐς (părénthesĭs) →
Scrabble 26
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Meanings

verbparenthesize (third-person singular simple present parenthesizes, present participle parenthesizing, simple past and past participle parenthesized)

present singular third person parenthesizes · participle present parenthesizing · participle past parenthesized · past parenthesized · alternative parenthesise

  1. To place text in parentheses.

    1918, William Strunk Jr., Elements of Style, Ithaca, N.Y.: Priv. print. [Geneva, N.Y.: Press of W. F. Humphrey], http://www.bartleby.com/141/strunk2.html When a wholly detached expression or sentence is parenthesized, the final stop comes before the last mark of parenthesis.

  2. To interject.

    "He is a friend of mine!" the Lieutenant parenthesized abruptly.

    1894, Vogue, volume 3, Condé Nast Publications, page iv
    1 more example

    1871, Alexander Innes Shand, Against Time, Littell & Gay, p. 66, https://books.google.ca/books?id=BS8nAAAAMAAJ&q=%22parenthesized%22+OR+%22parenthesised%22&dq=%22parenthesized%22+OR+%22parenthesised%22&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi3ibvH4KHNAhUI4GMKHZRYAQoQ6AEISTAI "Heaven grant it!" parenthesized Lord Rushbrook.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*per-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*preh₂-
  3. Proto-Hellenic*pərai
  4. Ancient Greekπᾰρᾰ́ (părắ)
  5. Ancient Greekπᾰρᾰ- (pără-)
  6. Proto-Indo-European*h₁én
  7. Ancient Greekἐν (en)
  8. Proto-Indo-European*dʰeh₁-
  9. Proto-Indo-European*dʰédʰeh₁ti
  10. Ancient Greekτῐ́θημῐ (tĭ́thēmĭ)
  11. Ancient Greekπᾰρεντῐ́θημῐ (părentĭ́thēmĭ)
  12. Koine Greekπᾰρένθεσῐς (părénthesĭs)
  13. Late Latinparenthesi
  14. Englishparenthesis
  15. Englishparenthesize

From parenthesis + -ize.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Dutch tussen haakjes zetten
  • tussen haakjes zettenplace in parentheses
Finnish laittaa sulkuihin, laittaa sulkeisiin
  • laittaa sulkuihinplace in parentheses
  • laittaa sulkeisiinplace in parentheses
French mettre entre parenthèses
  • mettre entre parenthèsesplace in parentheses
German klammern, in Klammern setzen
  • klammernplace in parentheses
  • in Klammern setzenplace in parentheses
  • einklammernplace in parentheses
Polish nawiasować
  • nawiasowaćplace in parentheses
Portuguese pôr entre parêntesis
  • pôr entre parêntesisplace in parentheses
Spanish poner entre paréntesis, parentetizar
  • poner entre paréntesisplace in parentheses
  • parentetizarplace in parentheses
Swedish sätta i parentes
  • sätta i parentesplace in parentheses
Cite this entry
APA

parenthesize. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/parenthesize

MLA

“parenthesize.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/parenthesize. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “parenthesize,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/parenthesize.

Source: parenthesize on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.