ENGLISH
REFERENCE

para

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈpɛɹə// para Archaic Informal Slang

n. a short name for a professional who helps a specialist, like a teacher's assistant or a medical helper. It is also used as a short way to say 'paragraph' or to describe a soldier in a parachute unit.

n. a shortened form of various professional or technical terms, most commonly referring to a paraprofessional, a paragraph, or a paratrooper. Informal in register; the specific meaning is usually determined by the professional context.


SIMPLE

The teacher asked the para to help the students with their reading.

CONTEXTUAL

After the lecture, the professor asked me to rewrite the third para of my essay for better clarity.

COMPLEX

While the lead surgeon handled the primary procedure, the surgical para ensured all secondary monitoring equipment remained calibrated throughout the operation.

Synonyms
Etymology 1

Borrowed from Serbo-Croatian pàra /па̀ра, from Ottoman Turkish پاره (pare, para), from Persian پاره (pâre).

Etymology 2

Clipping of words such as primipara and multipara.

Etymology 3

Clippings.

Etymology 4

Clipping of paralytic.

Etymology 5

Borrowed from Urdu پاره (pāra), from Persian پاره (pâre).

Usage

Commonly used as a clipping in educational, medical, and military contexts; pluralizes normally as 'paras'.

© 2026 English Reference