A parallel circuit is one which the current passes through the electrical devices in separate paths.
For example, consider 2 resistors (loads):
A practical example
In a house each lamp and its light switch are wired in series with each other but all the separate circuits feeding the lights in a house are wired in parallel with each other because any one light can be either on or off independently of the others.
a parallel circuit is when electricity flows through more than one pathway