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Webster 1913 Edition

emphasis

em′pha-sis

(ĕm′fȧ-sĭs)
,
Noun.
;
pl.
Emphases
(ĕm′fȧ-sēz)
.
[L., fr. Gr.
ἔμφασισ
significance, force of expression, fr.
ἐμφαίνειν
to show in, indicate;
ἐν
in +
φαίνειν
to show. See
In
, and
Phase
.]
1.
(Rhet.)
A particular stress of utterance, or force of voice, given in reading and speaking to one or more words whose signification the speaker intends to impress specially upon his audience.
The province of
emphasis
is so much more important than accent, that the customary seat of the latter is changed, when the claims of
emphasis
require it.
E. Porter.
2.
A peculiar impressiveness of expression or weight of thought; vivid representation, enforcing assent;
as, to dwell on a subject with great
emphasis
.
External objects stand before us . . . in all the life and
emphasis
of extension, figure, and color.
Sir W. Hamilton.

Webster 1828 Edition

Emphasis

EM'PHASIS

,
Noun.
In rhetoric, a particular stress of utterance, or force of voice, given to the words or parts of a discourse, whose signification the speaker intends to impress specially upon his audience; or a distinctive utterance of words, specially significant, with a degree and kind of stress suited to convey their meaning in the best manner.
The province of emphasis is so much more important than accent, that the customary seat of the latter is changed, when the claims of emphasis require it.

Definition 2024

emphasis

emphasis

English

Noun

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.
  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. (typography) Related to bold.
  5. (phonology) The phonetic or phonological feature that distinguishes emphatic consonants from other consonants

Related terms

Translations

Anagrams

Latin

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

Noun

emphasis f ‎(genitive emphasis); third declension

  1. emphasis

References

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈɛ****əsɪs/
['ɛɱfəsɪs, 'eɱfəsɪs, 'ɛɱfəsəs, 'eɱfəsəs]

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