Emphasizable

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Capable of being stressed or highlighted to indicate importance in speech or writing
2. Able to be given special attention or prominence to convey significance or focus
3. Having the quality that allows something to be accentuated or made more noticeable for effect

Etymology: "Emphasizable" is a plain formation: the verb "emphasize" with the suffix "-able" attached. "Emphasize" itself comes from "emphasis," a Greek-derived word meaning a stress or forceful expression, which entered English as a term for vocal stress and later for special importance placed on something. The suffix "-able" comes from Latin "-abilis," meaning "capable of being," so the word literally describes something that is capable of being emphasized. English has produced many such formations by adding "-able" to verbs, and the pattern is productive: nearly any verb that can take an object can be turned into an adjective of this kind when speakers need to describe something that can be stressed or highlighted. Because the word is a regular combination of an existing verb and a common suffix, its meaning follows directly from its parts. It is used mainly in writing about design, speech, and presentation, where a feature is described as one that can be made more prominent.

Synonyms: highlightable, stressable, accentuable

Antonyms: unemphasizable