: an arrangement of electrical devices in a circuit in which the same potential difference is applied to two or more resistances with each resistance being on a different branch of the circuit compare series
c
: an arrangement or state that permits several operations or tasks to be performed simultaneously rather than consecutively
similar implies the possibility of being mistaken for each other.
all the houses in the development are similar
analogous applies to things belonging in essentially different categories but nevertheless having many similarities.
analogous political systems
parallel suggests a marked likeness in the development of two things.
the parallel careers of two movie stars
Example Sentences
Adjective the parallel careers of the two movie stars These two sentences are parallel in structure. Notice the parallel development of the two technologies. Noun These myths have some striking parallels with myths found in cultures around the world. There are many parallels between the stories. Most of the United States is south of the 49th parallel. Verb Their test results parallel our own. Rising prices parallel increasing fuel costs. Spending is paralleled by an increase in the number of loans given. The highway parallels the river. See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
To my mind, always, the ‘60s generation has been at least as important as the jazz age or the roaring ‘20s, and very parallel in many ways. Chris Willman, Variety, 13 Sep. 2022 The Italian state — which, Nadeau acknowledges, fails to support its struggling citizens — and the parallel state that encompasses the mafia don’t seem that separate. Ilana Masad, Washington Post, 9 Sep. 2022 The queen, devoted to horses, hunting and country life, always had a parallel wardrobe of country clothing. Rory Satran, WSJ, 8 Sep. 2022 State attorneys general are pursuing a parallel antitrust suit against the search giant, also pending before Mehta. Leah Nylen, Fortune, 8 Sep. 2022 Russians will have the chance to buy the new Apple iPhone 14, despite the US tech company having left the country, thanks to Moscow's parallel import scheme, a senior government official told the RIA Novosti news agency on Thursday. Reuters, CNN, 8 Sep. 2022 The terminal complex sits in the middle of the airfield with its five parallel runways designed for efficiency. Kelly Yamanouchi, ajc, 8 Sep. 2022 For decades the Bills ran parallel to the Chargers in San Diego. Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Sep. 2022 Scientists will use the more than 160 parallel ridges – described as rib-like formations – to examine Thwaites’ historical activity and make predictions about its future possible movement, according to Graham. Ashley R. Williams, USA TODAY, 7 Sep. 2022
Noun
There’s a parallel in the long-ago Gorbachev episode. Holman W. Jenkins, WSJ, 13 Sep. 2022 The country also operates a sharia system, Islam’s legal system, in parallel with its secular legal system. Patrick Frater, Variety, 22 Aug. 2022 When deployed in parallel with collaborative creation, IA offers an important investment for companies to address the rising demand for improved CX. Andrew Kokes, Forbes, 17 Aug. 2022 As the largest crypto company on the public market, Coinbase bears the brunt of the broader industry’s problems, with its stock price fluctuating in parallel with Bitcoin and other volatile cryptocurrencies.New York Times, 5 Aug. 2022 The Biden administration has been closely tracking Iran’s satellite efforts, which have been progressing in parallel with Iran’s development of a more capable missile fleet. Ellen Nakashima, Washington Post, 4 Aug. 2022 Vega E is currently on track to fly in 2026, and Ranzo said its development will run in parallel with work on its as-yet-unnamed demonstration rocket. Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 1 July 2022 Not to run the risk of overstating what might be already apparent, but there’s a parallel between Billy’s lack of awareness and both his personal history and political history. Oliver Munday, The Atlantic, 21 June 2022 Running in parallel with the retraining is the automakers’ campaign to attract white-collar tech types—which doesn’t necessarily mean attracting them to Detroit. Jaclyn Trop, Fortune, 1 June 2022
Verb
But Judge Lisa Lench ruled on Wednesday that her testimony would closely parallel the allegations of three other accusers, and would therefore be superfluous. Gene Maddaus, Variety, 10 Aug. 2022 De Souza's removal could parallel an episode in April 2020 when Olivaldi Azevedo, another military officer, was dismissed soon after Globo aired a segment featuring an operation against land grabbers inside an Indigenous territory. Fabiano Maisonnave, ajc, 18 Aug. 2022 Does Rita’s outlook parallel your own views on aging at all? Ilana Kaplan, Vogue, 12 Aug. 2022 The rocky performances and wavering accents among the secondary cast members parallel the disappointingly unimaginative (and not particularly lavish) special effects. Inkoo Kang, Washington Post, 5 Aug. 2022 Carlos Menem, president from 1989 to 1999, introduced a bill cutting four zeros off the austral and renaming it the peso, attempting to parallel Argentina’s monetary system to the U.S. dollar. Federico Perelmuter, The New Republic, 21 June 2022 Bonnie is expected to parallel to the coasts of El Salvador, Guatemala and southern Mexico today through Tuesday. Leigh Morgan, al, 2 July 2022 Tectonic plates in fracture zones, however, move side to side and parallel with each other, leading to much smaller earthquakes on average, Gomberg said.oregonlive, 16 June 2022 The show’s storylines have taken viewers on unpredictable journeys, from time jumps and parallel universes to fake deaths and sacrificial offerings. Leah Campano, Seventeen, 19 May 2022
Adverb
Pull up parallel to the lead vehicle until your rear bumpers align. Robert Klose, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 July 2022 And while his career wouldn't quite live up to its early promise, if Saka's goes on to run parallel then few at the Emirates will be complaining.SI.com, 23 Sep. 2019 Let your upper arm go parallel to the ground before returning to the starting position. Ajc Homepage, ajc, 16 Aug. 2017 Power generated at the San Vicente facility could be delivered via electrical lines parallel and interconnected to San Diego Gas & Electric’s Sunrise Power Link. Rob Nikolewski, sandiegouniontribune.com, 31 July 2017 See More
Word History
Etymology
Adjective, Noun, Verb, and Adverb
Latin parallelus, from Greek parallēlos, from para beside + allēlōn of one another, from allos … allos one … another, from allos other — more at else