Parathesis
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 The placing of two or more nouns in the same case; apposition. countable, uncountable
"Both parathesis and suntaxis are constructions but they are never treated as constituents within larger constructions."
- 2 A parenthetical notice, usually of matter to be afterward expanded. countable, rhetoric, uncountable
"After all his Theses and their Applications, his Correspondent Alpha's and Beta's, his perplex'd Paragraphs, his intricate Paratheses, and his tædious Citations, what Doctrine of the Church of Rome has he establish'd, or what principle of Ours has he disprov'd?"
- 3 The matter contained within brackets. countable, uncountable
- 4 A thorough examination of a topic, juxtaposing both thesis and antithesis in order to achieve a final synthesis. countable, uncountable
"In their public discourse (books, articles, brochures, press releases), lawyers address these provisions in long paratheses, where each provision and its interpretation is added to the previous, until a specific theme (.e.g. surveillance vs privacy) is exhausted."
- 5 An abstract idea that embodies a shared social worldview. countable, uncountable
"European Union, the redeeming parathesis of Europe's higher unity, is not a federation or a confederation, actual or potential, but a state of mind."
Example
More examples"Both parathesis and suntaxis are constructions but they are never treated as constituents within larger constructions."
Etymology
From Ancient Greek παράθεσις (paráthesis, “putting beside”).
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.