Parenthesis (rhetoric)

Parenthesis (rhetoric)

In rhetoric, a parenthesis (plural: parentheses; from the Greek word παρένθεσις, which comes in turn from words meaning "alongside of" and "to place") is an explanatory or qualifying word, clause, or sentence inserted into a passage with which it doesn't necessarily have any grammatical connection. Parentheses are usually marked off by round or square brackets, dashes, or commas.