parenthesized

Parenthesized is an adjective describing text, numbers, or symbols that are enclosed within parentheses, that is, within the pair of punctuation marks "(" and ")". The verb form parenthesize means to place something inside parentheses. The term derives from the Greek para, beside, and thesis, a placing. In typography, parentheses mark nonessential information or clarifications that supplement the main text.

Use of parenthesized material signals that the content is optional, aside, or supplementary. In prose, parentheticals may insert an aside or a precise detail without breaking the main sentence. Examples: The committee approved the proposal (with amendments). The population (1.2 million in 2020) grew steadily. In academic writing, parenthetical citations provide bibliographic data without interrupting the narrative (Smith, 2023).

In mathematics and science, parenthesized expressions group terms to indicate the order of operations or to denote function arguments. In programming and formal logic, parentheses serve to group expressions or to call functions; they may be nested, requiring careful matching of pairs. In linguistics, parentheses can mark optional elements or alternate forms in data annotation, such as phonetic variants or optional modifiers.

Style considerations advise sparing use of parenthesized material to preserve readability. If the content is substantial, it may be better integrated into the main sentence or set off as a dash or footnote. Overall, parenthesized elements provide a way to include supplementary information without disrupting the primary flow of text.