an emphasis

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable or uncountable

   Special importance or attention given to something.

   Grammar: Can be used with 'an' when countable ('an emphasis on'), or without an article when uncountable ('place emphasis on'). The plural is 'emphases'.

   Patterns

   • emphasis on something
   • place emphasis on something
   • put emphasis on something

   The school puts a strong emphasis on academic achievement.

   There is an emphasis on teamwork in this company.

   He placed great emphasis on the need for careful planning.

2. 2noununcountabletechnical

   The act of giving special force or stress to a word or phrase when speaking.

   Grammar: Used when talking about speech; often followed by 'on'.

   Patterns

   • emphasis on a word
   • with emphasis

   She said 'no' with great emphasis.

   The teacher put emphasis on the first syllable of the word.

Word forms

Common combinations

strong emphasis

The report places strong emphasis on reducing pollution.

main emphasis

The main emphasis of the course is on practical skills.

shift the emphasis

The government has shifted the emphasis from punishment to prevention.

with emphasis

He spoke with emphasis, making sure everyone understood.

Synonyms and how they differ

stress

Stress is similar but often used for physical pressure or in linguistics; emphasis is broader and more about importance.

importance

Importance is the quality of being important; emphasis is the act of giving importance to something.

focus

Focus means the center of attention; emphasis means special importance given to something.

Word family

emphasize verb

To give special importance to something.

emphatic adjective

Expressed with force or strong emphasis.

emphatically adverb

In a forceful or clear way.

Commonly confused: an emphasis or emphases?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “an emphasis”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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