parallelism
Low to MediumFormal, Academic, Technical
Definition
Meaning
The state or quality of being parallel; corresponding or matching elements in structure, position, or time.
A rhetorical or literary device using repeated or similar grammatical structures, sounds, or concepts to create balance, rhythm, or emphasis in speech or writing. Also refers to the occurrence of similar events or processes simultaneously.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a formal/technical term. While 'parallel' is common, 'parallelism' is specific to describing a quality, pattern, or deliberate stylistic device.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical differences. Spelling of related words follows regional conventions: 'parallelise' vs. 'parallelize'.
Connotations
Equally formal and technical in both dialects.
Frequency
Comparable frequency in academic/technical registers.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
Parallelism between X and YParallelism in Xto achieve/use/employ parallelismVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “In parallel with”
- “Draw a parallel between”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used to discuss similar trends in markets or simultaneous project execution.
Academic
Key concept in rhetoric, linguistics, literature, and computing (parallel processing).
Everyday
Rare in casual conversation; used in discussions about comparisons or writing style.
Technical
Central to computer science (parallel computing), mathematics (parallel lines), and electrical engineering (parallel circuits).
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The systems were designed to parallelise the tasks efficiently.
- Her career paralleled his in many ways.
American English
- The software parallelizes the data analysis.
- His findings parallel those of the earlier study.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The two roads are in parallelism; they never cross.
- The writer uses parallelism to make her argument stronger and easier to remember.
- There is a clear parallelism between the two historical periods.
- Grammatical parallelism in the sentence 'She likes cooking, hiking, and to read' is flawed; it should be 'cooking, hiking, and reading'.
- The report highlights a striking parallelism in the economic growth of the two nations.
- The poet's adept use of syntactic and semantic parallelism creates a hypnotic rhythm throughout the verse.
- Researchers observed a remarkable parallelism in the neural development of the species, suggesting a common evolutionary pathway.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of parallel lines in geometry—they run side-by-side, never meeting. Parallelism is the quality of things being arranged or occurring in this side-by-side, corresponding manner.
Conceptual Metaphor
PATHWAYS RUNNING SIDE-BY-SIDE (for structural similarity), ECHO or MIRROR (for rhetorical balance).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid directly using 'параллелизм' for all contexts; in computing it's correct, but for rhetorical/literary style, 'параллельная конструкция' or 'использование параллелизма' is clearer.
- Don't confuse with 'parallel' (adjective) which is 'параллельный'.
Common Mistakes
- Misspelling: 'paralellism', 'parallelisim'.
- Incorrect preposition: 'parallelism of' (less common) instead of 'parallelism between' or 'parallelism in'.
- Using it as a verb (it's a noun only).
Practice
Quiz
In which field is 'parallelism' LEAST likely to be a core technical term?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Not exactly. Similarity is general. Parallelism specifically implies a structured, often intentional, correspondence in form, position, or timing, like items in a list or simultaneous processes.
It's quite formal. In everyday talk, people are more likely to say 'they're similar' or 'they match up' rather than 'there's a parallelism between them'.
Faulty parallelism in writing: mixing grammatical forms in a list or comparison, e.g., 'She is talented, intelligent, and works hard' (should be 'talented, intelligent, and hardworking').
Yes, understanding it helps improve writing clarity and style, especially for B2+ level. Recognizing it also aids in analyzing more complex texts.
Collections
Part of a collection
Rhetoric and Argumentation
C2 · 49 words · Advanced tools of persuasion and argumentation.