Deemphasise

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To make something less prominent or to reduce the importance attached to it in a presentation or discussion
2. To play down a feature or point so that it attracts less attention or carries less weight
3. To lessen the stress, focus or significance given to a particular aspect of something

Etymology: "Deemphasise" is a plain formation: the prefix "de-" joined to "emphasise," with the sense of reversing or removing the emphasis. "De-" comes from Latin, where it meant "down," "away," or "off," and in English it attaches freely to existing verbs to mean undoing, lowering, or taking away what the base word does. To deemphasise something is therefore to reduce the stress placed on it, so that it attracts less attention than before. The base word "emphasise" comes through French "emphase" from Greek "emphasis," meaning an indication or a striking way of speaking, from "emphainein," to show forth or reveal within. The spelling in this form follows British usage; American English typically writes "deemphasize."

Synonyms: downplay, minimize, play down, understate, soft-pedal

Antonyms: emphasize, stress, highlight, accentuate, underline