noun

parallels

PA-ruh-lelz

Parallels (noun) means Similarities or points of close resemblance between two things that are otherwise separate. Example: “Historians have drawn parallels between the two financial crashes.”

noun

Similarities or points of close resemblance between two things that are otherwise separate.

"Historians have drawn parallels between the two financial crashes."

"There are obvious parallels between her early work and his."

The imaginary circles running round the Earth at a fixed distance from the equator, used to measure latitude.

"The border follows the 38th parallel."

verb

Matches or corresponds closely to something else.

"His career parallels that of his father almost exactly."

How to use parallels

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishWays in which two different things are alike.

When to use it

Neutral; common in journalism, history and academic writing.

Memory tip

Note the spelling: one r, two l's in the middle, one l at the end — par-allel.

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

parallels → paralysis → parallelism

Common pairings

draw parallels striking parallels close parallel historical parallels parallel lines

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Historians have drawn _____ between the two financial crashes.

Etymology

From Greek parallēlos, from para- 'beside' and allēlois 'one another', so literally 'beside each other'.

Origin: Greek

Synonyms

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similarities correspondences analogies likenesses echoes matches mirrors corresponds to

Antonyms

differences contrasts

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between parallels and similarities?

They overlap, but a parallel usually implies a structured, point-by-point resemblance between two whole situations, while a similarity can be a single shared feature. You draw parallels between two wars; you notice a similarity between two shirts.

What does 'draw parallels' mean?

It means to point out the ways in which two separate things resemble each other. The phrase does not claim the two things are the same, only that comparing them is useful.

What is the 38th parallel?

It is the line of latitude 38 degrees north of the equator, best known as the approximate dividing line between North and South Korea.

What is the meaning of parallels?

"parallels" (noun) means similarities or points of close resemblance between two things that are otherwise separate.