Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary - emphasis

(emphases) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. Emphasis is special or extra importance that is given to an activity or to a part or aspect of something. Too much emphasis is placed on research... Grant puts a special emphasis on weather in his paintings. = stress N-VAR: oft N on n 2. Emphasis is extra force that you put on a syllable, word, or phrase when you are speaking in order to make it seem more important. ‘I might have know it!’ Miss Burnett said with emphasis... The emphasis is on the first syllable of the last word. N-VAR