emphasis - Wiktionary, the free dictionary (original) (raw)

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

From Latin emphasis, from Ancient Greek ἔμφασις (émphasis, “significance”), from ἐμφαίνω (emphaínō, “I present, I indicate”), from ἐν- (en-, “in”) + φαίνω (phaínō, “I show”).

emphasis (countable and uncountable, plural emphases)

  1. Special weight or forcefulness given to something considered important.
    He paused for emphasis before saying who had won.
  2. Special attention or prominence given to something.
    Anglia TV's emphasis is on Norwich and district.
    Put emphasis on the advantages rather than the drawbacks.
  3. Prominence given to a syllable or words, by raising the voice or printing in italic or underlined type.
    He used a yellow highlighter to indicate where to give emphasis in his speech.
  4. (phonology) The phonetic or phonological feature that distinguishes emphatic consonants from other consonants.
  5. (typography) The use of boldface, italics, or other such formatting to highlight text. (Can we add an example for this sense?)

special weight or forcefulness given to something considered important

special attention or prominence given to something

prominence given to a syllable or words, whether in speech or in printing

phonology: the phonetic or phonological feature that distinguishes emphatic consonants from other consonants

typography: the use of boldface, italics, or other such formatting to highlight text

From Ancient Greek ἔμφασις (émphasis, “significance”).

emphasis f (genitive **emphasis); third declension

  1. emphasis

Third-declension noun (i-stem).