parallel
/ˈpærəlel/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈpærəlel/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈper-ə-ˌlel ˈpa-rə-, -ləl/ (ame, mw) · /ˈpær.ə.lel/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈper.ə.lel/ (ame, ipa)
parallel — adjective
- parallelpositive
- more parallelcomparative
- most parallelsuperlative
1. describes a pair of lines, roads, or edges that run beside each other while keep
describes a pair of lines, roads, or edges that run beside each other while keeping exactly the same gap from start to finish, so they would never touch even if you stretched them on forever
Maple Street runs parallel to the river for almost two kilometres.
parallel to + place
Mr. Suzuki drew two parallel lines across the whiteboard with a red marker.
two parallel lines (typical noun phrase)
The new bike path is parallel with the railway tracks behind the station.
Make sure the wooden shelves stay parallel, or your books will lean to one side.
Lina folded the napkin so the two long edges were perfectly parallel.
- side-by-side
everyday phrase, but does not promise the gap is constant
- equidistant
formal and technical; means the same distance apart at every point
- perpendicular
meeting at a right angle (90 degrees) instead of staying apart
- intersecting
lines that cross each other
文法句型
parallel to [something]
parallel with [something]
be parallel
用法筆記
Both 'parallel to' and 'parallel with' are correct; 'parallel to' is slightly more common in modern writing. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense talks about physical position in space, not similarity of ideas or events.
常見錯誤
2. used about two events, processes, or situations that closely resemble each other
used about two events, processes, or situations that closely resemble each other, or that develop in step during the same period, even though they may involve different people or places
The new tax scandal shows striking parallel features to the case from 2008.
parallel features / parallel cases
Carlos noticed parallel themes of loss and hope in both Korean and Mexican films.
parallel themes (abstract noun)
The two sisters lead parallel lives, both teaching biology in small mountain towns.
Climate change and rising food prices follow parallel trends in many poor regions.
Dr. Tanaka's research shows a parallel rise in stress and screen time among teenagers.
- similar
much more general; the everyday word for 'alike'
- comparable
stresses that two things can fairly be compared
- analogous
formal; suggests a deep structural likeness
文法句型
a parallel + noun
parallel to [something]
用法筆記
Often appears before abstract nouns such as 'lives, careers, themes, trends, history'. Distinguish from sense 1 (NEVER MEETING): this sense is about resemblance or matching timelines, not physical position.
常見錯誤
3. in computing, describes a way of moving data or running tasks where many small p
in computing, describes a way of moving data or running tasks where many small pieces are sent or processed at the same moment over separate wires or cores, instead of one after another
Old printers used a parallel cable that carried eight bits at once.
parallel cable (hardware noun)
Modern graphics cards rely on parallel processing to draw millions of pixels each second.
parallel processing (set phrase)
Dr. Park's lab built a small parallel computer using twenty cheap Raspberry Pi boards.
The team rewrote the simulation to use parallel threads on every CPU core.
- concurrent
general computing word for tasks that overlap in time
- multi-threaded
more specific; describes software running many threads at once
- serial
the standard opposite in computing: one bit or task at a time
- sequential
tasks done one after the other in a fixed order
文法句型
parallel + technical noun
in parallel
用法筆記
Mostly used inside fixed technical phrases like 'parallel processing', 'parallel computing', 'parallel port'. The opposite term in this domain is 'serial', which means one bit or one task at a time.
parallel — noun
- parallelsingular
- parallelsplural
1. a clear point of likeness between two different people, events, or situations, e
a clear point of likeness between two different people, events, or situations, especially one that helps you understand the second one by thinking of the first
Historians often draw a parallel between the 1929 crash and the 2008 banking crisis.
draw a parallel between A and B (fixed phrase)
The novel sets up a striking parallel between the king's downfall and his daughter's quiet courage.
a striking parallel (common collocation)
Professor Mendes pointed out interesting parallels with the protests in Chile.
There are clear parallels between learning a sport and learning a new language.
Maya saw an obvious parallel between her grandmother's farm and the village in the film.
- comparison
the general everyday word for putting two things side by side
- analogy
a comparison used to explain or argue a point
- similarity
focuses on the shared feature rather than the act of comparing
- contrast
highlights difference rather than likeness
文法句型
a parallel between A and B
draw a parallel
see a parallel
用法筆記
Almost always countable. Frequently appears in the fixed verb phrase 'draw a parallel/draw parallels'. Distinguish from sense 2 (NO MATCH): that sense is the special pattern 'no/without parallel' meaning unique, not just 'a comparison'.
常見錯誤
2. used in the fixed phrases 'no parallel' and 'without parallel' to say that somet
used in the fixed phrases 'no parallel' and 'without parallel' to say that something is so unusual or so excellent that nothing else can be matched against it
Hokusai's printing skill had no parallel in nineteenth-century Japan.
have no parallel (fixed phrase)
The damage caused by the tsunami was without parallel in the town's long history.
without parallel in [field]
Aunt Rosa's chocolate cake was so rich that it had no parallel at the village fair.
After Yuki Mori's Chopin recital, the critic Saito wrote that her left-hand technique was without parallel.
文法句型
have no parallel
without parallel
be without parallel in [field]
用法筆記
Almost only used in the negative pattern 'no/without parallel'. Sounds formal or admiring; often appears in reviews, history writing, and obituaries. Distinguish from sense 1: there you compare two specific things; here you say nothing else even compares.
常見錯誤
3. in mathematics, a straight line drawn so that every point on it sits an equal ga
in mathematics, a straight line drawn so that every point on it sits an equal gap away from another chosen line, meaning the two will never cross however far they are extended
The pupils were asked to draw a parallel to the bottom edge of the rectangle.
draw a parallel to [a line]
Mr. Khan showed the class how to use a ruler to mark a parallel above the first line.
In her geometry book, every parallel was drawn in light pencil first, then in ink.
A square has two pairs of parallels, one horizontal and one vertical.
- parallel line
the everyday way to say the same thing outside textbooks
- perpendicular
a line that meets the chosen line at a right angle
文法句型
a parallel of/to [a line]
用法筆記
Mainly classroom and textbook language. Outside math class, people prefer 'a parallel line'. Distinguish from sense 1 (COMPARISON): that sense is about likeness between ideas, not lines on paper.
4. on a map of the world, any imaginary east-west circle that rings the earth at a
on a map of the world, any imaginary east-west circle that rings the earth at a fixed gap north or south of the equator and is used to measure latitude
The 38th parallel separates North Korea from South Korea.
the [number]th parallel (geographic name)
Most of Canada lies north of the 49th parallel.
north of the [number]th parallel
The captain checked the chart and announced that the ship had crossed the 60th parallel.
Tropical storms rarely form south of the 5th parallel near the equator.
Geography students learned to find each parallel by looking at the numbers on the side of the map.
- line of latitude
the longer, more technical name for the same thing
- latitude
the general system of north–south position; a parallel marks one fixed value
- meridian
a north–south line of longitude rather than an east–west line of latitude
文法句型
the [number]th parallel
north/south of the [number]th parallel
用法筆記
Almost always paired with a number, as in 'the 38th parallel' or 'the 49th parallel'. The numbers count degrees north or south of the equator. Distinguish from sense 3: this sense is about lines on a globe, not lines drawn on paper.
常見錯誤
parallel — verb
- parallelpresent simple I / you / we / they
- parallels3rd person singular
- paralleling-ing form
- paralleledpast simple
1. to be very much like something else in shape, pattern, or timing, so that one th
to be very much like something else in shape, pattern, or timing, so that one thing seems to mirror or match the other as it happens
Sophia's career as a chef closely parallels her mother's path forty years earlier.
X closely parallels Y
The growth of online shopping has been paralleled by a sharp drop in mall visits.
passive: be paralleled by [Y]
The plot of the new manga parallels an old folk tale from northern Japan.
Chef Daniel's quick rise through three Lyon restaurants parallels his mentor Pierre's path in the 1980s.
Marcus noticed that the boy's drawings parallel scenes from his favourite cartoons.
- mirror
common, vivid alternative; suggests an almost exact reflection
- match
more everyday and general; can also mean 'be equal in value'
- correspond to
formal; stresses point-by-point agreement
- diverge from
to move away from a matching pattern
- contrast with
to show clear difference rather than likeness
文法句型
[X] parallels [Y]
be paralleled by [Y]
用法筆記
Used most often in writing about history, science, or trends, where you want to point out a strong match between two patterns. Subjects and objects are usually abstract nouns (career, plot, growth, trend). The passive 'be paralleled by' is very common in academic prose.
常見錯誤
parallel — adverb
1. in such a way that an object or path keeps the same gap from another object or p
in such a way that an object or path keeps the same gap from another object or path along its whole length, never coming closer and never moving further away
The hiking trail runs parallel to the river for nearly five kilometres.
run parallel to [something] (very common pattern)
Carlos parked his motorbike parallel to the kerb so traffic could pass.
park parallel to [something]
The new pipeline lies parallel to the old gas line under the main road.
Two ducks swam parallel to each other across the quiet lake.
- alongside
everyday word for 'next to', but does not promise a constant gap
- across
moving from one side to the other rather than along
文法句型
run/lie/move parallel to [something]
用法筆記
Almost always followed by 'to' plus the reference object. Common with verbs of motion or position: 'run, lie, move, swim, drive, park'. Compare with the adjective use: here 'parallel' modifies how something moves or lies, not the noun itself.