n.
Pronunciation: ˌ p ə ŋ k-ch ə - ' w ā -sh ə n
Function: noun
Date: circa 1539
1 : the act of punctuating : the state of being punctuated
2 : the act or practice of inserting standardized marks or signs in written matter to clarify the meaning and separate structural units also : a system of punctuation
3 : something that contrasts or accentuates