emphasis

[em-fuh-sis]

noun

plural

emphases 

1. special stress laid upon, or importance attached to, anything.

   The president's statement gave emphasis to the budgetary crisis.

2. something that is given great stress or importance.

   Morality was the emphasis of his speech.

3. Rhetoric.

   1. special and significant stress of voice laid on particular words or syllables.

   2. stress laid on particular words, by means of position, repetition, or other indication.

4. intensity or force of expression, action, etc..

   Determination lent emphasis to his proposals.

5. prominence, as of form or outline.

   The background detracts from the emphasis of the figure.

6. Electronics.,  preemphasis.

emphasis

/ ˈɛmfəsɪs /

noun

1. special importance or significance

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

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

4. force or intensity of expression

   he spoke with special emphasis on the subject of civil rights

5. sharpness or clarity of form or outline

   the sunlight gave emphasis to the shape of the mountain

Other Word Forms

• misemphasis noun
• reemphasis noun
• superemphasis noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of emphasis¹

First recorded in 1565–75; from Latin, from Greek émphasis “indication,” equivalent to em- em- ² + phásis phasis

Word History and Origins

Origin of emphasis¹

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

Example Sentences

The university’s admissions place a heavy emphasis on GPAs, but these don’t reliably reflect student preparation because grades are inflated.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

There is an emphasis on providing instructional materials featuring diverse characters that look like students, who often learn about their culture and history from the content.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

There’s some truth to this, but the overarching emphasis on miasma theory fundamentally ignores how the immune system works.

Read more on Salon

Across income groups, consumers are making cost-cutting trade-offs and putting more emphasis on finding the best deal, the data showed.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

"I don't see it putting any kind of emphasis on any form of investment," he said.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• attention 
• insistence 
• intensity 
• priority 
• significance 
• strength 
• stress 
• weight