emphasis

American  

[em-fuh-sis] / ˈɛm fə sɪs /

noun

• emphases
  plural

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.

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emphasis British  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• misemphasis
  noun
• reemphasis
  noun
• superemphasis
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• emphases
  plural

Etymology

Origin of emphasis

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

Explanation

While the emphasis, or main focus, for walking a dog might be on "answering the call of nature," the emphasis for the dog might be on chasing squirrels. If you say emphasis a little louder or with extra oomph in your pronunciation, you are putting emphasis on the word. This emphasis makes it clear that special attention, or emphasis, should be given to the word. Now, having repeated emphasis so many times, the "s" sound really stands out, sort of like in the word "stress." When you stress a point, you put emphasis on something — it is the main thing, the emphasis.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

emphasis emphases

That has shifted Saudi Arabia’s emphasis back to Hormuz, its traditional route for exporting much of its oil.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026

Economists said the Fed chairman’s view that policy isn’t restraining the economy, and his emphasis on the energy shock, argue for a longer tightening campaign.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

For Thales, AI has become increasingly important to its defence business, particularly as governments worldwide place greater emphasis on autonomous systems.

From Barron's ● Sep. 14, 2026

His hands were shaking as he added his own story to the chorus of his fellow New Yorkers, and his voice cracked when he raised it for emphasis.

From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2026

The doctor puts great emphasis on the final three words.

From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen

The show’s photos, predominantly in black and white, document these dramatic emphases as revealed by the stances and gestures of Graham and her dedicated group of women.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 9, 2026

Their language and emphases may be different, but the diagnosis is the same.

From BBC ● Mar. 13, 2025

And the difficulty of what he’s doing shouldn’t be understated: He’s not just repeating his part of the dialogue but replicating his pauses, cadence, emphases naturally and in sync with Hnath’s audio.

From New York Times ● Jun. 14, 2023

There were emphases on ballhandling, shooting from midrange, being aggressive, driving to the basket and finishing around the rim.

From Washington Post ● Jan. 12, 2023

In placing the lecture before the public in print, it is impossible, by having recourse to any system of punctuation, to indicate the pauses, jerky emphases, and odd inflexions of voice which characterised the delivery.

From The Complete Works of Artemus Ward — Part 1: Essays, Sketches, and Letters by Artemus Ward

Related Words

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