Parenthetical definitions - Technical definitions and descriptions

Practical models for technical communication - Shannon Kelley 2021

Parenthetical definitions
Technical definitions and descriptions

When someone needs just enough added information to understand a term or acronym, a parenthetical definition is the best choice. A parenthetical definition provides an explanation of a term immediately after its first use, typically enclosed in commas or parentheses. For example, documents that deal with health concerns for a large audience may refer to “seasonal influenza, commonly known as the flu,” or simply “seasonal influenza (flu).”

Parenthetical definitions often provide a synonym (a word or phrase with a similar meaning) enclosed in parentheses or commas immediately after an unfamiliar term. The previous sentence shows this definition strategy. This approach allows the specific and general meaning of a word or phrase to coexist within a single sentence and reach a wider audience.

One way to think about parenthetical definitions is to see them as handrails that guide the user. Your goal is to get your user from point A to point B, from the unfamiliar to the known. Parenthetical definitions can help you get there without having to explain too much and risk getting off topic. Parenthetical definitions are intended to interrupt the flow of a sentence as little as possible. Users familiar with the term can skip over them. But users who need a little extra assistance will appreciate that the definitions are there for them.

When to Use

A common use for a parenthetical definition is to introduce an acronym for the first time. The usual practice is to spell out the term in full and follow immediately with the acronym. Afterward, users will understand the acronym when they see it. For example, if you use meta-analysis from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), you can introduce the institute followed by the acronym as you see in this sentence. In subsequent references, you can use NIMH instead and avoid taking up valuable space in your document.

Textbooks often use parenthetical definitions to make sure the user has quick and immediate access to important vocabulary. Acronyms (abbreviations) or specialized terms are defined parenthetically (in passing) when the audience includes people who might not be familiar with these terms. Parenthetical definitions are also used to make sure the audience is guided toward the correct understanding of a term in order to avoid misinterpretation.

How to Use

Parenthetical definitions are best used where the audience needs just a little more clarification or when space constraints make longer definitions impractical. Keeping a parenthetical definition to five words or fewer is a good guideline. This isn’t a hard and fast rule, meaning it isn’t an absolute requirement. However, if you need more than five words, you may want to use a sentence definition instead.