# emphasis

Pronunciation: say "EM-fuh-sis" /ˈɛmfəsɪs/

## Noun

1. Particular attention or importance given to something to single it out as significant.
   - Simple: Extra importance or force you give to something to show it matters.
   - _The report places particular emphasis on reducing waste._
   - _During negotiations, both sides put emphasis on long-term cooperation._
2. Special attention or prominence given to something, making it stand out.
   - Simple: Special attention given to one thing so it stands out from the rest.
   - _The museum's redesign placed emphasis on local history._
   - _Modern medicine has shifted its emphasis toward prevention._
3. Extra stress placed on a syllable or word, either by saying it more forcefully or by printing it in italics or with underlining.
   - Simple: Extra strength given to a word or sound when speaking, or special print like italics.
   - _In the verb 'record', the emphasis falls on the second syllable._
   - _He gave the warning emphasis by printing it in bold italics._
4. The use of boldface, italics, or similar formatting to make text stand out on the page.
   - Simple: Making some text stand out by using bold or italic letters.
   - _The style guide recommends emphasis through italics rather than underlining._
   - _Web designers often overuse emphasis, leaving pages cluttered with bold text._
5. In phonetics and phonology, the property that marks emphatic consonants, such as those of Arabic, as distinct from plain ones.
   - Simple: A way of making certain consonant sounds with a heavier, deeper quality.
   - _In Arabic phonology, emphasis spreads from the consonant to nearby vowels._
   - _Linguists transcribe emphasis with a dot placed beneath the consonant symbol._

## Origin

From Latin emphasis, from Ancient Greek ἔμφασις (émphasis, 'significance'), from ἐμφαίνω (emphaínō, 'I present, I indicate'), itself made from ἐν- (en-, 'in') plus φαίνω (phaínō, 'I show').

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/emphasis (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).