What does emphases mean?
Emphases is the plural form of emphasis, a word denoting special weight, importance, or stress given to a particular element among others. Where emphasis singles out one point of focus, emphases acknowledges several such points at once. The word appears chiefly in formal contexts — academic prose, journalism, policy analysis — where writers need to compare or contrast multiple areas of concentration: a government may shift its emphases from defense to education, or two critics may place different emphases on the same novel. It also describes variation in vocal or rhetorical force, as in a performance whose emphases change with each reading. Because it derives from Greek via Latin, its plural follows the classical -is → -es pattern rather than taking a simple English -s, which makes it easy to misspell. Writers who want precision and variety in analytical prose find it a valuable, if slightly formal, term.
nounEmphases is the plural of emphasis, referring to special stress, importance, or prominence given to something, or to the intensity of expression in speech or writing.
- Plural of emphasis: special importance, attention, or stress given to something.
- Plural of emphasis: intensity or forcefulness of expression in speech or writing.
"The professor placed different emphases on each section of the exam syllabus."
"The two reports put very different emphases on the same economic data."
"Her reading of the poem was marked by subtle shifts in emphases that revealed new layers of meaning."
Emphases itself is the plural; its singular is emphasis, pronounced /ˈɛmfəsɪs/.
"The essay places its emphases carefully, one on style and another on substance."
Most English plurals just add an s — but emphasis becomes emphases, a relic of its Greek roots that trips up even seasoned writers.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of emphases
Emphases comes to English through Latin emphasis from Greek emphasis, meaning 'significance' or 'indirect implication', derived from emphainein, 'to show' or 'to indicate', from phainein, 'to show'. The Greek-derived plural emphases preserves the original -is → -es ending pattern shared by words such as thesis and analysis. Cognate English derivatives include emphasize, emphatic, and emphatically.
Related word forms
How emphases is actually used
Formal register; most common in academic, journalistic, and analytical writing. In everyday conversation, speakers often avoid the plural and rephrase with 'emphasis' plus a modifier (e.g., 'different kinds of emphasis').
Easily confused with emphases
Emphasis is the singular form referring to one instance of stress or importance, while emphases is its plural referring to multiple such instances.