If you have ever seen someone type the word parens in a memo, style guide, computer code, or an online forum, you may have wondered what it meant. The term is not nearly as common as parentheses, but you may have encountered it somewhere in your professional or academic career.
The reason for this is simple: parens is not a word most people are formally taught. It will not be found in most dictionaries. Most people shorten the word parentheses to parens when discussing writing or editing. This leaves many people wondering if the term is an informal abbreviation, a technical writing term, or even a slang word from the internet.
The truth is that the word is incredibly useful to know. You are likely to see it used in a variety of places if you work in fields related to writing, computers, or publishing. Knowing what it means will make you instantly familiar with its context and meaning.
Common Misconceptions
The Core Problem
A lot of people assume that “parens meaning” refers to something other than plain old parentheses, even though writers often use it as shorthand for them. Other people think its a typo of parenthesis or that it stands for something only programmers would use.
These misconceptions lead to people being confused when they see messages such as the following line in an editing comment:
“Move this into parens.”
or
“You forgot a closing paren.”
A lot of people are unclear on what it means but in reality it’s pretty simple.
Understanding the Topic
In essence, parens is actually an informal short form of parentheses.
Parentheses are those symbols:
( )
used to indicate supplemental information not essential to the main point of a sentence.
For instance,
Sarah (who recently relocated to Chicago) began her new job today on Monday.
The sentence would still make sense even without the phrase that is enclosed within the parentheses:
Sarah began her new job today on Monday.
The additional information simply provides more details about the woman in question.
Therefore, since the word parentheses is rather long and complicated, editors, writers, instructors, and programmers alike often shorten it to parens in everyday conversation.
So if you ever hear someone say something along the lines of:
Put that in parens
simply means they want you to:
Put that within parentheses
Why People Search This Topic
Searches for the phrase “parens meaning” come from all kinds of situations, so readers may land on the term with very different goals in mind.
Sometimes they stumbled upon the word when proofreading their documents for grammar and style.
Others encountered it on their computer-related studies, perhaps while learning programming languages or web development.
Students might find it on a teacher’s comment after they submitted their work for evaluation.
An author might encounter the word in an editor’s comment, telling them to tuck a particular phrase or clause inside parens rather than in the main sentence.
While software developers chat about missing opening or closing parens when discussing syntax issues.
All of them saw the same word in different context.
Being able to understand the context of a discussion is essential in understanding what “parens” really means.
Where the Word “Parens” Comes From
The English language has ways of shortening frequently used words.
In fact, we do it all the time.
You might say:
- info
- instead of
- information,
- intro
- instead of
- introduction
- Other people might say
- exam
instead of
examination
Some “shortened” words are used often by professionals in fields like mathematics or linguistics, such as
parens
for
parentheses.
As a rule, these are informal contractions that have sprung up naturally in everyday use, rather than officially sanctioned contractions of the sort that you might find in a dictionary.
Now, that’s not to say that they’re wrong; simply that you shouldn’t use them if your audience is expecting something more formal.
Complete Solution Guide
In Everyday English
Few English-speakers actually say “parens” in normal conversation. They are more likely to say
parentheses
brackets (incorrectly),
or
those curvy things
Nevertheless, among editors and writers, the term “parens” saves time because everyone already knows what the word means.
For instance,
- could you take out the parens from this sentence? really means
- could you take out the parentheses from this sentence?
In Grammar and Writing
Parentheses are used to provide additional, non-essential information to a sentence in writing. Understanding parentheses can help you use them correctly in formal and informal writing.
For instance,
The meeting (originally scheduled for Friday) was postponed until Monday.
Anything contained within parentheses can be removed without damaging the overall point or structure of the sentence. In addition, many professional editors will write notes to the writer in the form of
- Remove the parens
- Add parens here
- Change commas to parens
- Do not use nested parens
- among other notes.
In Programming
Programmers may actually use the term “parens” more often than most other professions. This is because computer programming languages often use parentheses to indicate the beginning and end of certain functions. Learning about programming syntax makes it easier to understand why parentheses are essential in coding.
For instance, the following line of code:
print(“Hello”)
actually uses parentheses to indicate to the computer where the function being performed (printing “Hello”) begins and ends. If someone were to say
Hey, you forgot a closing paren
they would actually be saying
Hey, you forgot the punctuation at the end of that line of code
or
Hey, there’s a missing “)” at the end of that line of code
Similar to other professions, programmers might write notes to each other saying something as simple as
Add another pair of parens
In Editing
Some editors will use the shorthand “parens” when communicating with fellow editors. For instance, instead of writing
Please place this additional information within parentheses
one might write
put this in parens
instead. The message and intent behind the note is the same.
In Online Conversations
Bloggers, social media posters, and internet forum users often use the abbreviated shorthand of their real-life counterparts. As such, one might see a conversation go like this:
The joke works better without the parens
or
Delete those unnecessary parens
once again with the same intent and meaning as before.
Parentheses vs. Brackets vs. Braces
Many beginners confuse these punctuation marks.
| Symbol | Name | Primary Use |
| ( ) | Parentheses (Parens) | Extra information |
| [ ] | Brackets | Editorial additions, clarifications |
| { } | Braces | Programming, mathematics |
| < > | Angle Brackets | HTML, XML, technical documentation |
Only ( ) are called parens. You can also read our guide on punctuation marks to better understand the differences between common writing symbols.
Real-World Examples
Consider these examples from different industries.
Example 1: Book Editing
Editor comment:
Put the publication date in parens.
Result:
The conference (2024) attracted over 2,000 attendees.
Example 2: Programming
Developer comment:
You forgot the closing paren.
Incorrect:
console.log(“Hello”;
Correct:
console.log(“Hello”);
Example 3: Journalism
Reporter writes:
The mayor (who declined further comment) left the meeting early.
A parenthetical can add helpful context or side information while letting the core sentence stay clear and easy to read.
Example 4: Academic Writing
Research papers frequently include citations inside parentheses.
Example:
Previous studies support this conclusion (Smith, 2023).
Editors may casually call these “citation parens.”
Professional Insights
Experienced editors will tell you to use parentheses rarely.
Used too frequently, parenthetical asides can puff up a paragraph and make the overall argument harder for readers to track.
It’s usually better to avoid parenthetical asides and digressions and say the things you want to say in the body of your writing.
For instance,
instead of saying
Our product (which came out in January) (after months of testing) was successful
say
Our product was successful after months of testing and a launch in January.
The second example is better because it avoids parenthetical interruptions and says the things that were in parentheses right in the body of the writing.
Programmers would tell you to avoid nested parentheses as much as possible.
Code with deeply nested parentheses is harder to read and maintain than code with only one level of parentheses.
When You Should Use the Word “Parens”
Using “parens” is perfectly fine when talking to:
- Editors
- Writers
- Programmers
- Designers
- Technical people
- Your peers who are familiar with the abbreviation
- However,
- in formal writing,
- it’s probably better to use the full word ‘parentheses’
Think of “parens” as a casual, informal synonym of parentheses.
Mistakes People Frequently Make
One of the most common mistakes associated with parentheses is confusing them with brackets.
The two are often mistaken for each other, despite being fundamentally different.
Another frequent mistake is thinking that the word “parens” only refers to parenthesis in programming.
The truth is, it has been in use by editors and writers for years.
A third error is thinking that the word “parens” is somehow ungrammatical or incorrect.
While it is not formal, it is commonly used in writing and communication.
Lastly, many inexperienced writers will use parentheses incorrectly and excessively when placing additional notes and comments within the text, which can make it hard to follow the main point of the text.
How to Fix Those Problems
If you are trying to decide between “parens” or “parentheses,” think about who you are writing for.
If you are writing a paper, or something similar that is going to be presented to others, you should use the full term. If you are writing something more informal like an email, or note to a coworker, “parens” is more appropriate.
When writing a sentence, ask yourself if the information you are putting in parentheses is necessary.If that information is truly essential to your point, it belongs directly in the sentence itself, rather than being tucked away in parentheses.
Practical Pro Tips
Learning punctuation becomes much easier when you associate each symbol with its purpose instead of memorizing names.
Remember these simple associations:
- Parens = extra information
- Brackets = editorial clarification
- Braces = programming or mathematics
Angle brackets = markup languages and technical syntax
If you’re working with editors or developers, becoming comfortable with the abbreviation “parens” can make communication faster and clearer.
It’s also helpful to recognize related terminology such as “opening paren” for “(” and “closing paren” for “)”. These phrases are especially common in coding, dictation software, and accessibility tools.
FAQs
Is “parens” a real English word?
Yes. It is an informal abbreviation of “parentheses” and is widely recognized in writing, editing, and programming communities.
Is “parens” only used by programmers?
No. Editors, authors, journalists, teachers, students, and publishers also use the abbreviation regularly.
Is it acceptable to write “parens” in formal documents?
Generally, no. Formal writing usually favors the complete word “parentheses.”
What is a closing paren?
A closing paren is the right parenthesis:
)
It completes a pair of parentheses.
What is an opening paren?
An opening paren is the left parenthesis:
(
It begins a parenthetical section.
Are parentheses and brackets the same?
No. Parentheses ( ) and brackets [ ] are different punctuation marks with different functions.
Why do editors say “put this in parens”?
Because “parens” is simply a quicker way to say “parentheses.” The instruction means to place the text inside ( ).
Conclusion
Although “parens” may sound like something you’ve never heard of, it’s actually quite simple. “Parens” is just an informal word for parentheses, those curvy things you sometimes see around extra information. You’ll see the word “parens” most often when talking about editing or publishing, or working with programmers or other web developers. Being able to recognize the word is good because it can help you decipher some very helpful notes that may come from an editor, or a programmer, or even your English teacher.While parentheses should still be used when writing formally, “parens” should be known as an everyday word.
