| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. |
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| emphasis |
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| SYLLABICATION: | em·pha·sis |
| PRONUNCIATION: |   m f -s s |
| NOUN: | Inflected forms: pl. em·pha·ses (-s z )
1. Special forcefulness of expression that gives importance to something singled out; stress: a lecture on housekeeping with emphasis on neatness; paused for emphasis, then announced the winner's name. 2. Special attention or effort directed toward something: a small-town newspaper's emphasis on local affairs. 3. Prominence given to a syllable, word, or words, as by raising the voice or printing in italic type. | | ETYMOLOGY: | Latin, from Greek, from emphainein, to exhibit, display : en-, in; see en–2 + phainein, to show; see bh -1 in Appendix I. | | SYNONYMS: | emphasis, accent, stress These nouns mean special weight placed on something considered important: an education with an emphasis on science; will study music with an accent on jazz; laid heavy stress on law and order.
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| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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