parentNode / parentElement Parent node
Last updated: 2026-09-09
parentNode / parentElement Parent node
parentNode returns the parent node; parentElement returns the parent element only.
| Category | DOM |
|---|---|
| ES version | DOM |
📝 Syntax
const parent = child.parentElement;Returns：The parent element or null.
Mutates the original：No (returns a new value)
▶ Example
Edit the code, press Run, and see the result in the output panel:
Output：
(parent element)💡 Tip closest(selector) finds the nearest matching ancestor — great for delegation.
ℹ️ info parentElement returns null for non-element parents; parentNode may return non-elements.
🌐 Browser support
| Browser |  Chrome |
 Edge |
 Firefox |
 Safari |
 Opera |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| parentNode / parentElement | ✓ v1 | ✓ v12 | ✓ v1 | ✓ v1 | ✓ v1 |
| Supported by all modern browsers | |||||
🏷️ Related Items
💡 Related Cases
More case studies coming soon — check back later.
📚 Related Tutorials
❓ FAQ
QparentNode vs parentElement?
AparentNode may return non-elements; parentElement only elements.
QWhat is closest?
AFinds nearest matching ancestor — great for event delegation.
Qchildren vs childNodes?
Achildren = elements only; childNodes includes text nodes.
