emphatic

adjective

em·​phat·​ic im-ˈfa-tik How to pronounce emphatic (audio)
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 adverb

Examples of emphatic in a Sentence

They were emphatic about their political differences. the governor issued an emphatic denial of all charges
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Florida native has notched seven consecutive wins, with his last three title defenses all ending in emphatic second-round finishes. Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 June 2025 Later in the quarter, Haliburton leaked ahead for an emphatic transition dunk. Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 1 June 2025 After a shaky, 1-2-2 start to the NWSL season, the Thorns turned a corner on April 22 with an emphatic 4-1 home victory over 2023 NWSL Champions Gotham FC. Tamerra Griffin, New York Times, 30 May 2025 However, experts say vaccination rates tend to be lower when health authorities use that language and doctors are less emphatic with patients about getting shots. Mike Stobbe, Chicago Tribune, 30 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for emphatic

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of emphatic was in 1602

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Cite this Entry

“Emphatic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/emphatic. Accessed 16 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

emphatic

adjective
em·​phat·​ic im-ˈfat-ik How to pronounce emphatic (audio)
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 adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on emphatic

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