emphasis

[ em-fuh-sis ]

/ ˈɛm fə sɪs /

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See synonyms for: emphasis / emphases on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural em·pha·ses

[em-fuh-seez]. /ˈɛm fəˌsiz/.

special stress laid upon, or importance attached to, anything: The president's statement gave emphasis to the budgetary crisis.

something that is given great stress or importance: Morality was the emphasis of his speech.

Rhetoric.

special and significant stress of voice laid on particular words or syllables.
stress laid on particular words, by means of position, repetition, or other indication.

intensity or force of expression, action, etc.: Determination lent emphasis to his proposals.

prominence, as of form or outline: The background detracts from the emphasis of the figure.

Electronics. preemphasis.

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Origin of emphasis

1565–75; <Latin <Greek émphasis indication, equivalent to em-em-² + phásisphasis

OTHER WORDS FROM emphasis

mis·em·pha·sis, noun, plural mis·em·pha·ses.re·em·pha·sis, noun, plural re·em·pha·ses.su·per·em·pha·sis, noun, plural su·per·em·pha·ses.

Words nearby emphasis

emperor, emperor butterfly, emperor moth, emperor penguin, empery, emphasis, emphasize, emphasized, emphatic, emphatically, emphysema

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use emphasis in a sentence

Voice tone doesn’t factor into your points total, but the features together put a strong emphasis on encouraging users to shape their behavior around the AI-driven suggestions.
Amazon’s new fitness tracker listens to your voice to figure out your mood|Stan Horaczek|September 2, 2020|Popular-Science
Levien told Axios that the company’s strategy is “broadly working” and “any change from here is a question of emphasis.”
‘Unstoppable innovator’: The meteoric rise of Meredith Kopit Levien, the next New York Times CEO|Steven Perlberg|August 19, 2020|Digiday
While the wildlife trade is a source of spillover, Carlson says the emphasis placed on it often outstrips the evidence.
To prevent the next pandemic, we might need to cut down fewer trees|Jonathan Lambert|July 23, 2020|Science News
As such, existing marketing plans were shelved, making way for new coronavirus-aware content strategies that placed emphasis on empathy over commercialism.
Lessons from lockdown: Four content types that users really engage with|Edward Coram James|July 20, 2020|Search Engine Watch

For media outlets, this emphasis on alarming news is a business decision.
Reasons to Be Cheerful (Ep. 417)|Stephen J. Dubner|May 7, 2020|Freakonomics
Udall shifted his emphasis to the economy in the last weeks of the campaign, but it was too late.
A GOP Star Rises in Colorado, Beats Udall|Eleanor Clift|November 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When music had come into the discussion, the emphasis invariably was on rock sounds and players.
The Stacks: John Coltrane’s Mighty Musical Quest|Nat Hentoff|October 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Critics of the bigot should begin placing a bit less emphasis on what he says or feels than what he actually does.
Why Bigotry Persists|Stephen Eric Bronner|September 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
His emphasis on middle-class concerns is, well, understandable.
Iowa Frontrunner Mike Huckabee Talks to The Daily Beast|Lloyd Green|September 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
While there will be always be an emphasis on the next great star, Li Na has already opened the door.
Tennis Star Li Na Says Goodbye to the Court…and Puts the Sport’s Rise in Asia in Question|Nicholas McCarvel|September 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It was difficult to describe—a little sterner, a little wilder, a faint emphasis of the barbaric peering through it.
The Wave|Algernon Blackwood
There are four general forms of emphasis which serve as indications of the characteristics of expression.
Expressive Voice Culture|Jessie Eldridge Southwick
It is that from which the former, by the addition of a prefix, which gives emphasis to the meaning, is derived.
The Ordinance of Covenanting|John Cunningham
"To bathe in the very heart's blood of the one desired," he added with grave emphasis.
Three More John Silence Stories|Algernon Blackwood
Let your articulation be easy, clear, correct in accent, and suited in tone and emphasis to your discourse.
The Ladies' Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness|Florence Hartley

British Dictionary definitions for emphasis

emphasis

/ (ˈɛmfəsɪs) /

noun plural -ses (-siːz)

special importance or significance

an object, idea, etc, that is given special importance or significance

stress made to fall on a particular syllable, word, or phrase in speaking

force or intensity of expressionhe spoke with special emphasis on the subject of civil rights

sharpness or clarity of form or outlinethe sunlight gave emphasis to the shape of the mountain

Word Origin for emphasis

C16: via Latin from Greek: meaning, (in rhetoric) significant stress; see emphatic

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

emphasis

Origin of emphasis

OTHER WORDS FROM emphasis

Words nearby emphasis

Words related to emphasis

How to use emphasis in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for emphasis

Word Origin for emphasis