parenthesize

Parenthesize is a verb that means to enclose something in parentheses. Parentheses, also known as round brackets, are punctuation marks that are used to set off a word, clause, or sentence from the rest of the text. They are typically used to provide additional information, explanations, or asides. When a writer chooses to parenthesize a piece of information, they are essentially indicating that it is supplementary to the main sentence or idea. This can include clarifications, examples, or even humorous remarks. The act of parenthesizing is a stylistic choice that writers make to control the flow and emphasis of their writing. It can also be used in mathematical expressions to indicate the order of operations. For example, in the expression 2 + (3 * 4), the parentheses tell us to perform the multiplication before the addition. In informal writing and online communication, parentheses are also frequently used to convey tone or emotion, such as when adding a smiley face like :).