emphasis
Americannoun
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emphases
plural
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special stress laid upon, or importance attached to, anything.
The president's statement gave emphasis to the budgetary crisis.
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something that is given great stress or importance.
Morality was the emphasis of his speech.
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Rhetoric.
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special and significant stress of voice laid on particular words or syllables.
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stress laid on particular words, by means of position, repetition, or other indication.
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intensity or force of expression, action, etc..
Determination lent emphasis to his proposals.
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prominence, as of form or outline.
The background detracts from the emphasis of the figure.
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Electronics. preemphasis.
noun
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special importance or significance
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an object, idea, etc, that is given special importance or significance
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stress made to fall on a particular syllable, word, or phrase in speaking
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force or intensity of expression
he spoke with special emphasis on the subject of civil rights
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sharpness or clarity of form or outline
the sunlight gave emphasis to the shape of the mountain
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
Vocabulary lists containing emphasis
TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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Academic Vocabulary Toolkit 1, Words 31-40
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The AP English Exam: Rhetorical and Literary Terms 2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
It further argues that “Star Trek’s” emphasis on cultural and intellectual diversity remains especially relevant.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
Even the Danes, with all their emphasis on learning the lessons of Ukraine, have only a small amount of drones, though more would come in case of conflict, the commander said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
That finding is especially relevant as governments and international organizations place increasing emphasis on forest restoration.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 21, 2026
Kiai Muchtar Mu'thi combines Islamic teachings with a strong emphasis on Indonesian nationalism, and the school he owns in East Java is part of a wider complex that has thousands of loyal followers.
From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026
Charlie kept his left hand in the air with his wrist bent for emphasis.
From "Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish" by Pablo Cartaya
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
The difference was not just one of opposing political ideologies but of vastly different cultural and human emphases.
From Salon ● Aug. 28, 2024
The subtleties, the nuances, the different emphases of different countries, on a huge range of issues - and changing all the time.
From BBC ● May 21, 2023
You could hear Nézet-Séguin working out the dynamic emphases in real time at Carnegie.
From New York Times ● Jun. 17, 2022
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
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
