em|per|or /e mpərə r / (emperors ) N‑COUNT ; N‑TITLE An emperor is a man who rules an empire or is the head of state in an empire.
em|pha|sis ◆◇◇ /e mfəs I s/ (emphases /e mfəsiːz/)
1 N‑VAR Emphasis is special or extra importance that is given to an activity or to a part or aspect of something. □ [+ on ] Too much emphasis is placed on research. □ [+ on ] Grant puts a special emphasis on weather in his paintings.
2 N‑VAR 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 known it!' Miss Burnett said with emphasis. □ The emphasis is on the first syllable of the last word. SYNONYMS emphasis NOUN 1
importance: We have always stressed the importance of economic reform.
weight: The scientists involved put different weight on the conclusions of different models.
significance: Ideas about the social significance of religion have changed over time.
stress: Japanese car makers are laying ever more stress on European sales.
attention: The conference may help to focus attention on the economy. PRAGMATICS emphasis
In this dictionary, the label EMPHASIS indicates that you use the word or expression to show that you think something is particularly important or true, or to draw attention to it. An example of a word with this label is absolutely.
em|pha|size ◆◇◇ /e mfəsa I z/ (emphasizes , emphasizing , emphasized ) in BRIT, also use emphasise VERB To emphasize something means to indicate that it is particularly important or true, or to draw special attention to it. □ [V that] It's been emphasized that no major policy changes can be expected. □ [V how ] Discuss pollution with your child, emphasizing how nice a clean street, lawn, or park looks. SYNONYMS emphasize VERB
stress: They also stress the need for better transport and health care.
highlight: Once again, the 'Free Press' prefers not to highlight these facts.
accentuate: His shaven head accentuates his large round face.
flag up: I think there are more important issues and I just wanted to flag that up.
em|phat|ic / I mfæ t I k/
1 ADJ An emphatic response or statement is one made in a forceful way, because the speaker feels very strongly about what they are saying. □ His response was immediate and emphatic. □ I answered both questions with an emphatic 'Yes'.
2 ADJ [v-link ADJ , oft ADJ that] If you are emphatic about something, you use forceful language which shows that you feel very strongly about what you are saying. □ The rebels are emphatic that this is not a surrender. □ [+ about ] He is especially emphatic about the value of a precise routine.
3 ADJ [usu ADJ n] An emphatic win or victory is one in which the winner has won by a large amount or distance. □ Yesterday's emphatic victory was their fifth in succession.
em|phati|cal|ly / I mfæ t I kli/
1 ADV [ADV with v] If you say something emphatically , you say it in a forceful way which shows that you feel very strongly about what you are saying. □ 'No fast food,' she said emphatically. □ Mr Davies has emphatically denied the charges.
2 ADV You use emphatically to emphasize the statement you are making. [EMPHASIS ] □ Making people feel foolish is emphatically not my strategy.
em|phy|sema /emf I siː mə/ N‑UNCOUNT Emphysema is a serious medical condition that occurs when the lungs become larger and do not work properly, causing difficulty in breathing.
em|pire ◆◇◇ /e mpa I ə r / (empires )
1 N‑COUNT An empire is a number of individual nations that are all controlled by the government or ruler of one particular country. □ …the Roman Empire.
2 N‑COUNT You can refer to a group of companies controlled by one person as an empire . □ …the big Mondadori publishing empire.
em|piri|cal / I mp I r I k ə l/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Empirical evidence or study relies on practical experience rather than theories. □ There is no empirical evidence to support his thesis. ● em|piri|cal|ly ADV [usu ADV adj/-ed, ADV after v] □ …empirically based research. □ They approached this part of their task empirically.
em|piri|cism / I mp I r I s I zəm/ N‑UNCOUNT Empiricism is the belief that people should rely on practical experience and experiments, rather than on theories, as a basis for knowledge. [FORMAL ] ● em|piri|cist (empiricists ) N‑COUNT □ He was an unswerving empiricist with little time for theory.
em|place|ment / I mple I smənt/ (emplacements ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] Emplacements are specially prepared positions from which a heavy gun can be fired. [TECHNICAL ] □ There are gun emplacements every five-hundred yards along the road.
em|ploy ◆◇◇ / I mplɔ I / (employs , employing , employed )
1 VERB If a person or company employs you, they pay you to work for them. □ [V n] The company employs 18 staff. □ [be V -ed + in ] More than 3,000 local workers are employed in the tourism industry. □ [V -ed] Her first husband had been employed in a chemicals company. [Also + as ] [Also V n to-inf]
2 VERB If you employ certain methods, materials, or expressions, you use them. □ [V n] The tactics the police are now to employ are definitely uncompromising. □ [V -ed] …the approaches and methods employed in the study. [Also V n + as ]