late Middle English: from late Latin appositio(n-), from
apponere 'to apply' (see apposite) It is possible to place one
noun or noun phrase next to another one in a sentence, so that
it explains or amplifies it. For example:The Connecticut
legislator James Lanman pursued classical studies at Yale
College before joining the bar in 1791. Here the short phrases
The Connecticut legislator and James Lanman work in parallel.
They are said to be in apposition to each other.In the example
above, the sentence would work grammatically with only one of
the phrases:The connecticut legislator pursued classical studies
at Yale College before ... James Lanman pursued ... But neither
of these alternative versions is completely satisfactory. The
first leads us to ask, “Which Connecticut legislator?,” while
the second prompts. “Who is James Lanman”See also parenthesis.