Parenthetical Law and Legal Definition
Parenthetical in general, any explanatory word or phrase that helps explain something that came before it. In formal legal writing, a statement that may be added in parentheses at the end of a source citation. Such parentheticals often explain the relevance of the source, indicate something about its persuasive force, or quote language from the source. Many other ways to use a parenthetical exist; in general, any use of a parenthetical that could be useful for a reader is acceptable.
