Parentheses in LaTeX (\left( x \right))

Where it is used

Parentheses that automatically grow to the height of whatever they enclose.

\left( and \right) measure their content and pick a matching size, so \left( \frac{a}{b} \right)^2 gets tall parentheses while a plain (x) stays small. Every \left needs a \right in the same group, and a line break inside align cannot separate them. Overusing them makes simple expressions look heavy, and \left...\right adds a little extra space as an inner atom, which can make f\left(x\right) look loose; for function arguments \bigl( ... \bigr) or plain parentheses are often better. They size to the tallest item, including limits on sums.

Minimal compilable example

Paste this into an empty .tex file and compile it with pdfLaTeX, XeLaTeX or LuaLaTeX.

\documentclass{article}
\begin{document}
Parentheses: $\left( x \right)$

\[ \left( \sum_{i=1}^{n} x_i \right)^2 \le n \sum_{i=1}^{n} x_i^2 \]
\end{document}

Related symbols

• Square Brackets\left[ x \right]
• Double Brackets\llbracket x \rrbracket
• Curly Braces\left\{ x \right\}
• Double Bracket Right\rrbracket
• Vertical Bar\left| x \right|
• Double Bracket Left\llbracket

Frequently asked questions

How do I write Parentheses in LaTeX?

Type \left( x \right) in math mode, for example $\left( \sum_{i=1}^{n} x_i \right)^2 \le n \sum_{i=1}^{n} x_i^2$. It works in plain LaTeX without loading any package.

Which package do I need for \left( x \right)?

None. \left( x \right) is part of standard LaTeX, so it compiles with nothing in the preamble but the document class.

Can I use \left( x \right) in text mode, or only in math mode?

Only in math mode. Outside $...$ LaTeX stops with "Missing $ inserted", so write $\left( x \right)$ in running text.