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souligner

to underline

verb soo-lee-NYEH Rare
Communication Writing

Also means

to emphasize

Usage Note

Souligner is used both literally (to draw a line under text) and figuratively to mean 'to stress' or 'to highlight' a point in speech or writing. The figurative sense is extremely common in formal and academic French. The related noun soulignement means underlining, though mise en relief is often preferred for the abstract sense of emphasis.

Examples

"Il a souligné l'importance de ce détail."

Natural Translation

He emphasized the importance of this detail.

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