Bracket

A bracket is a device or mark used to enclose, group, or support. Structurally, brackets are elements that attach to a surface to bear weight or provide mounting points, such as shelf brackets or decorative corbels. In writing and notation, brackets are punctuation marks that set apart text or link related items.

Common brackets include parentheses ( ), square brackets [ ], curly braces { }, and angle brackets < >. Parentheses typically enclose incidental or clarifying material. Square brackets are often used to insert editorial notes, translations, or corrections within quoted text. Curly braces denote sets or groups in mathematics and programming. Angle brackets appear in computing and markup languages to enclose tags, and in technical contexts to indicate angles or placeholders.

Architectural and furniture brackets are hardware elements that project from a surface to support shelves, countertops, or fixtures. They range from simple right-angle supports to ornate decorative brackets and are chosen for both strength and aesthetics.

In sports and event planning, a bracket refers to the diagram that maps matchups in a tournament. A single-elimination bracket shows the path competitors must follow to the final, while double-elimination formats include a losers’ bracket. The term is widely used to organize, visualize, and broadcast competitions.

In specialized contexts, brackets appear in linguistics, coding, and data representation. Angle brackets may denote markup or phonetic information in certain traditions, and braces or brackets may indicate blocks, groups, or optional elements in various technical fields. The broad use of brackets across hardware, writing, and data reflects their role in enclosing, supporting, or structuring information.