/dee em"feuh sis/ , n. , pl. de-emphases /-seez'/ .
1. a reduction in emphasis: There has been de-emphasis on athletic activities at the school.
2. the act or process of de-emphasizing.
3. Electronics. a process of reducing the relative amplitude of certain frequencies in a signal that have been exaggerated by preemphasis, restoring the signal to its original form.
Also, deemphasis .
[ 1935-40; DE- + EMPHASIS ]