[em.pha.sis] n, pl -pha.ses [L, fr. Gk, exposition, emphasis, fr. emphainein to indicate, fr. en- + phainein to show--more at fancy] (1573) 1 a: force or intensity of expression that gives impressiveness or importance to something b: a particular prominence given in reading or speaking to one or more words or syllables
2: special consideration of or stress or insistence on something