n.
Pronunciation: ' ak- ˌ sent, chiefly Brit -s ə nt
Function: noun
Date: 1530
1 : an articulative effort giving prominence to one syllable over adjacent syllables also : the prominence thus given a syllable
2 : a distinctive manner of expression: as a : an individual's distinctive or characteristic inflection, tone, or choice of words ― usually used in plural b : a way of speaking typical of a particular group of people and especially of the natives or residents of a region
3 : rhythmically significant stress on the syllables of a verse usually at regular intervals
4 archaic : UTTERANCE
5 a : a mark (as ´, ` , ) used in writing or printing to indicate a specific sound value, stress, or pitch, to distinguish words otherwise identically spelled, or to indicate that an ordinarily mute vowel should be pronounced b : an accented letter
6 a : greater stress given to one musical tone than to its neighbors b : ACCENT MARK 2
7 a : emphasis laid on a part of an artistic design or composition b : an emphasized detail or area especially : a small detail in sharp contrast with its surroundings c : a substance or object used for emphasis
8 : a mark placed to the right of a letter or number and usually slightly above it: as a : a double prime b : PRIME
9 : special concern or attention : EMPHASIS <an accent on youth>
– ac · cent · less \ -l ə s \ adjective