parenthetical element

[puh-REN-thuh-ti-kuhl EL-uh-muhnt]
nounpl: parenthetical elements
elemento parentético
1. A word, phrase, clause, or sentence that is inserted into a text as an explanation, aside, or qualification, typically set off by parentheses, commas, or dashes
In the sentence 'She arrived (as expected) at noon,' the phrase 'as expected' is a parenthetical element.
Na frase 'Ela chegou (como esperado) ao meio-dia,' a frase 'como esperado' é um elemento parentético.
2. Information that could be removed from a sentence without changing its grammatical structure or primary meaning
The author included several parenthetical elements—additional context, historical notes, and clarifications—throughout the chapter.
O autor incluiu vários elementos parentéticos—contexto adicional, notas históricas e esclarecimentos—ao longo do capítulo.
This is a formal grammar and linguistic term used primarily in educational, editorial, and academic contexts in both Brazil and the United States. In Brazilian Portuguese, it's commonly taught in language arts (português) classes as part of sentence structure analysis. The term reflects standard written English conventions and is less commonly used in casual speech, appearing mainly in formal writing, journalism, and academic publications.
Synonyms / Sinônimos
parenthetical remarkparenthetical phraseasideinterjectioninterpolationdigression
Antonyms / Antônimos
essential elementmain clausecore statement

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
elemento parentético
Standard term used in grammar and linguistics education
Rio de Janeiro
elemento parentético / observação entre parênteses
May also use the more colloquial 'observação entre parênteses'
São Paulo
elemento parentético
Standard technical usage in educational and publishing contexts
Portugal
elemento parentético / expressão parentética
Portuguese preference for 'expressão parentética' in some academic contexts

Related Words

parenthesispunctuationclauseappositivedigressionbracketcomma

Related Idioms & Phrases

in parentheses
by the way
as an aside
entre parênteses
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