1. the state of being parallel or of corresponding in some way
2. the use of similar grammatical structures in successive phrases or clauses
Usage: rhetoric; grammar
3. similarity of development or evolution in unrelated organisms or systems
Usage: biology; technical

Examples

• The parallelism between the two historical events was striking.
• The architect designed the building with perfect parallelism in mind.
• Her speech used parallelism effectively: ‘We came, we saw, we conquered.’
• The teacher explained parallelism as a key element of persuasive writing.
• Scientists noted the parallelism in how both species adapted to desert conditions.
• The parallelism of the railroad tracks stretched into the distance.
• Good writers use parallelism to create rhythm and emphasis in their sentences.