a. [ad. Gr. ἐμφατικ-ός (var. of ἐμφαντικός), f. ἐμφα(ν-: see EMPHASIS.] Characterized by, or imparting, emphasis.
1. Of language, modes of statement or representation; also of tones, gesture, etc.: Forcibly expressive.
1708. Kersey, Emphatick, utter’d with a grace, significant, forcible.
1712. Addison, Spect., No. 363, ¶ 4. The intercession of the Messiah is conceived in very Emphatic sentiments and Expressions.
1734. trans. Rollin’s Anc. Hist. (1827), I. III. 249. An emphatic emblem.
1836. J. Gilbert, Chr. Atonem., viii. (1852), 227. Such is the emphatic representation of Scripture.
1847. Sarah Austin, trans. Ranke’s Hist. Ref., III. 221. He declared in the most emphatic manner, that it was a positive duty to oppose the progress of the Turks.
1847. Grote, Greece (1862), III. xxxix. 405. An emphatic passage of … Æschylus.
b. Of a word or syllable: That bears the stress in pronunciation. † Also (rarely) as quasi-sb. in pl. = ‘emphatic syllables.’
1815. J. Grant, in Month. Mag., XXXIX. 118. The same care … the moderns devote to that of their emphatics and unemphatics.
1837–9. Hallam, Hist. Lit. (1847), I. 29. The accented or … emphatic syllables.
c. Gram. Emphatic particle: one used to impart emphasis to the portion of the sentence in which it occurs. Emphatic state: an inflexion of the sb. in Aramaic, having a function somewhat resembling that of the definite article.
2. Of persons: That expresses himself with emphasis of voice, gesture or language.
1760. R. Lloyd, Actor, Wks. (1774), I. 16. None emphatic can that actor call, Who lays an equal emphasis on all.
1781. Cowper, Conversation, 269. The emphatic speaker dearly loves to oppose, In contact inconvenient, nose to nose.
1837. Dickens, Pickw. (1847), 272/1. The business … was commenced by a little emphatic man.
1866. Geo. Eliot, F. Holt (1868), 29. Mr. Lingon was equally emphatic.
3. Of actions or their effects: Strongly marked, forcible, ‘telling.’
1846. Prescott, Ferd. & Is., I. xi. 449. Still more emphatic honours were conferred on the Count de Cabra.
1872. Morley, Voltaire (1886), 2. One of the emphatic manifestations of some portion of the minds of men.
1873. Burton, Hist. Scot., VI. lxx. 199. They threatened to show their opinion in emphatic shape.
