ENGLISH
REFERENCE

emphasize

v.
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford US //ˈɛmfəˌsaɪz// em·pha·size General-service

v. to give special importance or attention to something. You use this when you want to make sure people notice a specific point or idea.

v. to give special importance or prominence to something in speaking or writing. Transitive — requires a direct object.


SIMPLE

The teacher used a red pen to emphasize the main points.

CONTEXTUAL

During the job interview, you should emphasize your previous experience to show you are the right candidate.

COMPLEX

The report seeks to emphasize the correlation between early childhood education and long-term economic stability, urging policymakers to increase funding for local preschool programs.

Synonyms
Origin

Latin, from Ancient Greek – see emphasis.

Usage

The verb is transitive and takes a direct object. It is often followed by a noun phrase or a 'that' clause.

Pitfall

emphasize on the importanceemphasize the importanceEmphasize is a transitive verb and does not take the preposition 'on'. Learners often confuse it with the noun 'emphasis', which does take 'on'.

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