emphatic

adjective

em·​phat·​ic im-ˈfa-tik 

em-

1

: uttered with or marked by emphasis

an emphatic refusal

2

: tending to express oneself in forceful speech or to take decisive action

3

: attracting special attention

4

: constituting or belonging to a set of tense forms in English consisting of the auxiliary do followed by an infinitive without to that are used to facilitate rhetorical inversion or to emphasize something

emphatically

im-ˈfa-ti-k(ə-)lē 

em-

adverb

Synonyms

• aggressive
• assertive
• dynamic
• energetic
• forceful
• full-blooded
• muscular
• resounding
• strenuous
• vehement
• vigorous
• violent

Example Sentences

They were emphatic about their political differences.

the governor issued an emphatic denial of all charges

Recent Examples on the Web

But year two started with an emphatic statement — a 20-19 win at Notre Dame, where Georgia had never played before. —Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2023

That agreement served as an equally emphatic statement of where the real power lies in the Republican Party: outside its formal structures. —Blake Hounshell, BostonGlobe.com, 6 Jan. 2023

Fittingly, though, this feels like a throwback to the glory years of the 1970s, an uncomplicated but emphatic blue, er, crimson-collar statement for Saban’s historically dominant defense that anchored his second national championship team. —Ben Flanagan | [e-mail], al, 29 Dec. 2022

His paintings are layered and full, textured and emphatic; so is Pope’s performance. —Laura Collins-hughes, New York Times, 20 Dec. 2022

Hollywood’s response to the war has been fast and emphatic. —Irina Aleksander, New York Times, 10 Aug. 2022

Yet there were plenty of positives to take from two ties against England and Wales, as well as an emphatic win against Iran. —Charlie Campbell, Time, 5 Dec. 2022

The appeals court decision was an emphatic win for the Justice Department, and the latest legal loss for Trump, who has gone to court multiple times to try to stop the government from getting access to records or personal information. —Perry Stein And Devlin Barrett, Anchorage Daily News, 2 Dec. 2022

Yet the lasting image from this game was of England’s dominance, which added up to its most emphatic win ever in a World Cup opener. —Jonathan Clegg, WSJ, 21 Nov. 2022

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Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French & Late Latin; French emphatique "forcefully expressive," going back to Middle French, borrowed from Late Latin emphaticus, borrowed from Greek emphatikós "expressive, indicative," from empha-, stem in noun derivation of emphaínein "to exhibit, display, indicate" + -t-, verbal adjective formative + -ikos -ic entry 1 — more at emphasis

First Known Use

1602, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

emphatic

adjective

em·​phat·​ic im-ˈfat-ik 

em-

1

: uttered with or marked by emphasis

2

: tending to express oneself in forceful speech or action

3

: attracting special attention

an emphatic design

emphatically

-ˈfat-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb