Paralleled

Paralleled is the past tense and past participle of the verb parallel. The primary sense is to be or cause to be aligned in the same direction, or to resemble or correspond to something else. In ordinary use, one may say that two lines were paralleled, or that events in a narrative are paralleled by events in another account. The word can also describe things that have a parallel counterpart or analogue.

In geometry and technical writing, parallel describes lines that never intersect and remain equidistant. When used as a verb or participle, paralleled conveys that relationship in the past: “the lines were paralleled by a second set of rails” or “the design paralleled earlier models.” In figurative language, to parallel something means to compare with or mirror it, as in “the study paralleled earlier research” or “the two histories paralleled each other.”

Etymology and related terms: parallel derives from Latin parallellis, from Greek parallēlos, meaning beside one another, with Old French parallele contributing to the English form. The past participle paralleled preserves the sense of having been made parallel or having corresponded closely. Related terms include parallel, parallelism, and parallelogram.

See also: parallel, parallelism, parallelogram.