parallelism
gb/pˈɛɹəlˌɛlˌɪzəm/ us/pˈɛɹəlˌɛlˌɪzəm/
C1
English
párhuzam, párhuzamos szerkesztés, párhuzamosság
NOUN
C1
FORMAL
1
párhuzam
B2
Usage pattern:
[a/the] parallelism between [things]; parallelism in/of [features]
Critics have noticed a strong parallelism between the novel's opening and final chapters.
A kritikusok erős párhuzamot vettek észre a regény nyitó és záró fejezete között.
The report points to a troubling parallelism in the economic problems facing both cities.
A jelentés aggasztó párhuzamra mutat rá a két várost érintő gazdasági problémák között.
There is no exact parallelism between the two legal systems, but the comparison is useful.
Learner examples
There is a clear parallelism between the two stories.
Világos párhuzam van a két történet között.
The teacher showed the parallelism between the paintings.
A tanár megmutatta a párhuzamot a festmények között.
Common mistake:
In everyday speech, similarity or parallel is often more natural. Do not use parallelism to mean one parallel line.
Meaning
similarity between separate things
Collocations
striking parallelism
|close parallelism
|clear parallelism
|historical parallelism
|structural parallelism
|parallelism between
|parallelism in
|show parallelism
|suggest parallelism
|lack of parallelism
Synonyms
similarity (broader and more everyday)
|
correspondence (emphasizes matching features or relationships)
|
analogy (often used for a comparison that explains something)
Antonyms
difference (general lack of likeness)
|
divergence (development or movement in different directions)
Themes
comparison
|analysis
|writing
Definition
a clear similarity between two things
a noticeable similarity or correspondence between two or more things, especially in their structure, development, or circumstances
NOUN
C1
TECHNICAL
2
Usage pattern:
parallelism in [a sentence/speech/poem]; use parallelism to [do something]
The slogan uses parallelism: "safe streets, strong schools, and fair taxes."
A szlogen párhuzamos szerkesztést használ: „biztonságos utcák, erős iskolák és méltányos adók”.
Her essay became more persuasive after she added parallelism to the list of demands.
A fogalmazása meggyőzőbb lett, miután párhuzamos szerkesztést alkalmazott a követelések felsorolásában.
Biblical poetry often relies on parallelism, with one line echoing or contrasting with the next.
Learner examples
The sentence "I like running, swimming, and reading" has parallelism.
Az „Szeretek futni, úszni és olvasni” mondatban párhuzamos szerkesztés van.
Parallelism can make a speech easier to remember.
A párhuzamos szerkesztés könnyebben megjegyezhetővé tehet egy beszédet.
Common mistake:
Do not confuse this with parallel lines in geometry; this meaning is about matching grammar or style.
Meaning
repeated matching sentence structure
Collocations
syntactic parallelism
|grammatical parallelism
|rhetorical parallelism
|biblical parallelism
|use parallelism
|create parallelism
|parallelism and repetition
|parallelism in a sentence
|parallelism in poetry
Synonyms
parallel structure (more common in writing instruction)
|
symmetry (broader; suggests balanced form)
|
repetition (broader; may repeat words, sounds, or ideas rather than structure)
Antonyms
asymmetry (lack of balanced matching structure)
|
variation (deliberate difference instead of repeated pattern)
Themes
writing
|literature
|rhetoric
|grammar
Definition
using the same grammar pattern in several parts of a sentence or text
the use of the same or a very similar grammatical pattern in related words, phrases, clauses, or lines, especially to create balance, rhythm, or emphasis
NOUN
C1
TECHNICAL
3
Usage pattern:
exploit/increase [parallelism]; [type/degree] of parallelism
The new algorithm gains speed by exploiting parallelism across several processor cores.
Az új algoritmus több processzormag közti párhuzamosság kihasználásával gyorsul fel.
Too much synchronization can reduce parallelism and slow the program down.
A túl sok szinkronizálás csökkentheti a párhuzamosságot, és lelassíthatja a programot.
Graphics chips are designed for a high degree of parallelism.
Learner examples
Parallelism helps the program run faster.
A párhuzamosság segít abban, hogy a program gyorsabban fusson.
The computer uses parallelism to do many tasks at once.
A számítógép a párhuzamosság révén egyszerre sok feladatot tud elvégezni.
Common mistake:
Parallelism is not exactly the same as concurrency: concurrency can mean tasks are interleaved, while parallelism usually means they actually run at the same time.
Meaning
simultaneous computer processing
Collocations
data parallelism
|task parallelism
|instruction-level parallelism
|exploit parallelism
|increase parallelism
|available parallelism
|fine-grained parallelism
|coarse-grained parallelism
|degree of parallelism
|parallelism overhead
Synonyms
parallel processing (emphasizes the method of processing at the same time)
|
simultaneous execution (descriptive technical phrase)
|
concurrency (related, but can include interleaved execution rather than true simultaneous execution)
Antonyms
serial execution (operations happen one after another)
|
sequential processing (processing follows a fixed sequence rather than occurring simultaneously)
Themes
computing
|software
|performance
Definition
when a computer does several pieces of work at the same time
the use or presence of simultaneous execution of multiple operations or tasks in a computer system, usually to improve speed or performance
NOUN
C1
TECHNICAL
4
Usage pattern:
parallelism of/between [lines/planes/surfaces]
In this proof, students must show the parallelism of the two opposite sides.
Ebben a bizonyításban a tanulóknak be kell mutatniuk a két szemközti oldal párhuzamosságát.
The surveyor checked the parallelism of the rails over the full length of the track.
A földmérő a sínek párhuzamosságát a pálya teljes hosszában ellenőrizte.
The condition for parallelism is that the two lines have the same slope.
Learner examples
The two lines have parallelism because they never meet.
A két egyenes párhuzamossága abból látszik, hogy soha nem metszik egymást.
The diagram shows the parallelism of the sides.
Az ábra az oldalak párhuzamosságát mutatja.
Common mistake:
Parallelism is the property. A single line is not a parallelism; it is parallel to another line.
Meaning
state of lines being parallel
Collocations
parallelism of lines
|parallelism of planes
|geometric parallelism
|prove parallelism
|test for parallelism
|condition for parallelism
|maintain parallelism
Synonyms
being parallel (plain, nontechnical phrasing)
|
parallel relation (emphasizes the relationship between objects)
Antonyms
nonparallelism (direct technical opposite; uncommon in everyday use)
|
intersection (lines or planes meet rather than remaining apart)
Themes
mathematics
|geometry
Definition
the condition of two lines or surfaces being parallel
the property or state of two or more lines, surfaces, or planes being parallel: staying the same distance apart and not meeting
Grammar
Dictionary form
parallelism
IPA
GB/pˈɛɹəlˌɛlˌɪzəm/
US/pˈɛɹəlˌɛlˌɪzəm/
Syllables & stress
par - al - lel - ism (4 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (par)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: parallelism
- Plural: parallelism, parallelisms
Expressions
data parallelism
1/dˈætə pˈɛɹəlˌɛlˌɪzəm/
fixed phrase
technical
same operation on data parts
doing the same computer operation on many pieces of data at once
Examples
- The image-processing code uses data parallelism, applying the same filter to many pixels at once.
- GPUs are well suited to data parallelism because they can run one operation across large arrays.
Learner examples
- Data parallelism helps the program process many records at the same time.
instruction-level parallelism
1/ɪnstɹˈʌkʃən lˈɛvəl pˈɛɹəlˌɛlˌɪzəm/
fixed phrase
technical
CPU instructions overlap
when a CPU handles several small instructions at the same time
Examples
- Modern processors use instruction-level parallelism to overlap simple operations inside the CPU.
- The compiler can sometimes expose more instruction-level parallelism by reordering instructions safely.
Learner examples
- A CPU can use instruction-level parallelism to do small steps at the same time.
massive parallelism
1/mˈæsɪv pˈɛɹəlˌɛlˌɪzəm/
fixed phrase
technical
large-scale simultaneous processing
using a very large number of parallel operations at once
Examples
- Modern neural-network training depends on massive parallelism across thousands of GPU cores.
- DNA sequencing platforms achieve massive parallelism by reading millions of fragments at once.
Learner examples
- Massive parallelism can make very large calculations faster.
task parallelism
1/tˈæsk pˈɛɹəlˌɛlˌɪzəm/
fixed phrase
technical
different tasks run together
when a computer runs different jobs at the same time
Examples
- The server uses task parallelism: one thread reads requests while another writes results to the database.
- Task parallelism is useful when a program has several independent jobs to do.
Learner examples
- Task parallelism lets two different jobs run at once.