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Added 9 October 2026

parallel

/ˈpæ.ɹəˌlɛl/ noun

Latin root: parallēlus Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about parallel at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Something having the property of being analogous to something else.
An imaginary line around the Earth parallel to the equator.
(mathematics) one of a set of parallel geometric figures (parallel lines or planes).
parallels never meet

verb

Be parallel to.
Their roles are paralleled by ours
Make or place parallel to something.
They paralleled the ditch to the highway
Duplicate or match.
The polished surface twinned his face and chest in reverse

adjective

Being everywhere equidistant and not intersecting.
parallel lines never converge
Of or relating to the simultaneous performance of multiple operations.
parallel processing

Origin

From Middle French parallèle and its etymon Latin parallēlus, parallēlos. The verb is from the noun. See also para- and allo-.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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