What does paralleling mean?
Paralleling means to extend or carry on alongside something else, usually while keeping the same direction, rate, or general relationship. A road, railway, or river may parallel another route by running beside it without necessarily meeting it. In a less literal sense, people or organizations parallel an activity by pursuing a comparable course, often with the intention of matching another effort. The word can also mean to make something parallel to something else, as when a design parallels an existing structure. Its modern meanings continue an older geometric sense of lying in the same direction at a constant distance. In general use, paralleling can suggest deliberate correspondence, and it may also carry the connotation of matching another effort without suggesting that the two are identical in every respect.
verbTo run or lie alongside something in the same direction, or to perform an activity at a comparable rate. It can also mean to make something parallel to another thing.
- To run or lie alongside something in the same direction.
- To perform an activity at a rate or scale comparable to another.
- To make one thing parallel or corresponding to another.
"The new rail line paralleling the motorway will reduce congestion in the surrounding towns."
"The rivers run parallel to one another for several miles before joining."
"The department is paralleling the pilot program in three other schools."
Paralleling originally described lines that never meet, a geometric idea that now also applies to activities progressing at matching rates.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of paralleling
The underlying English word parallel comes through French from Latin parallelus, a borrowing of Greek parallelos, meaning “side by side.” Its geometric sense is ancient, while the figurative use of matching a comparable direction or rate developed in the modern period. Paralleling was formed by adding the present-participle ending -ing to parallel.
Related word forms
How paralleling is actually used
Paralleling is the present participle of parallel and functions as either a verb form or, when placed before a noun, a participial adjective. It is formal but widely understood.