parallelism

IPA/ˈpærəlelɪzəm/
KK[pˈɛrəlˌɛlˌɪzəm]IPA/ˈpærəlelɪzəm/

parallelism — noun

1. a writing technique that gives two or more ideas the same grammatical shape, so

1.名詞C1
釋義

a writing technique that gives two or more ideas the same grammatical shape, so they feel balanced and equal in weight.

例句

Minh praised the speech for its parallelism, with each line built on the same pattern.

parallelism in [a speech] for balanced ideas

The teacher showed how parallelism makes a sentence smooth: "to laugh, to sing, to dance."

parallelism creating rhythm across listed items

同義詞
  • balance

    everyday word for the same even structure, less technical

  • symmetry

    stresses matching shape on both sides, used beyond grammar too

文法句型

parallelism in [text/speech]

用法筆記

Common in writing-craft and grammar contexts; the subject is usually a text, speech, or sentence rather than a person. Distinguish from sense 2, which is about general similarity, not grammatical form.

常見錯誤

❌My essay has a parallelism in the last line.
✅My essay uses parallelism in the last line.
💡the word is uncountable, so don't say 'a parallelism'.

2. a clear likeness between two situations, events, or things, where one closely ma

2.名詞C1
釋義

a clear likeness between two situations, events, or things, where one closely matches or mirrors the other.

例句

Tariro noticed a striking parallelism between the two countries' paths to freedom.

parallelism between [two situations]

There is a clear parallelism between Karim's life and his grandfather's, decades apart.

parallelism between [two lives]

同義詞
  • resemblance

    stresses looking or being alike, often at a glance

  • correspondence

    stresses point-by-point matching between two things

反義詞
  • difference

    the plain opposite when two things do not match

文法句型

parallelism between [A and B]

用法筆記

Often takes 'between' to link the two matched things. Unlike sense 1, this sense is about real-world resemblance, not the grammatical shape of words.

常見錯誤

❌There is a parallelism of his story and mine.
✅There is a parallelism between his story and mine.
💡use 'between' to join the two matched things.