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Focus vs Highlight - What's the difference?

focus | highlight |

In lang=en terms the difference between focus and highlight

is that focus is to concentrate one’s attention while highlight is to dye (part of the hair) a different color than the rest.

As nouns the difference between focus and highlight

is that focus is (countable|optics) a point at which reflected or refracted rays of light converge while highlight is an area or a spot in a drawing, painting, or photograph that is strongly illuminated.

As verbs the difference between focus and highlight

is that focus is to cause (rays of light, etc) to converge at a single point while highlight is to make prominent; emphasize.

focus

English

(wikipedia focus)

Noun

  • (countable, optics) A point at which reflected or refracted rays of light converge.
  • (countable, geometry) A point of a conic at which rays reflected from a curve or surface converge.
  • (uncountable, photography, cinematography) The fact of the convergence of light on the photographic medium.
  • * {{quote-magazine, year=2013, month=July-August, author= Catherine Clabby
    • , magazine=(American Scientist), title= Focus on Everything , passage=Not long ago, it was difficult to produce photographs of tiny creatures with every part in focus'.
  • (uncountable, photography, cinematography) The quality of the convergence of light on the photographic medium.
  • (uncountable) Concentration of attention.
  • (countable, seismology) The exact point of where an earthquake occurs, in three dimensions.
  • (computing, graphical user interface) The indicator of the currently active element in a user interface.
  • (linguistics) The most important word or phrase in a sentence or passage, or the one that imparts information.

    • Verb

  • To cause (rays of light, etc) to converge at a single point.
  • To adjust (a lens, an optical instrument) in order to position an image with respect to the focal plane.
    • You'll need to focus the microscope carefully in order to capture the full detail of this surface.
  • To concentrate one's attention.
    • Focus on passing the test.
  • To concentrate one’s attention.
    • If you're going to beat your competitors, you need to focus .

    Usage notes

    The spellings focusses'', ''focussing'', ''focussed'' are more common in Commonwealth English than in American English, but in both varieties they are less common than the spellings ''focuses'', ''focusing'', ''focused .

    Derived terms

    * focus group * in focus * out of focus

    Related terms

    * focal

    highlight

    English

    Alternative forms

    * hilite (informal)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An area or a spot in a drawing, painting, or photograph that is strongly illuminated.
  • An especially significant or interesting detail or event.
  • (cosmetology) A strand or spot of hair dyed a different color than the rest.

    • Antonyms

    * (especially significant or interesting detail or event) lowlight

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To make prominent; emphasize.
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2011 , date=December 21 , author=Helen Pidd , title=Europeans migrate south as continent drifts deeper into crisis , work=the Guardian citation , page= , passage=The Guardian has spoken to dozens of Europeans who have left, or are planning to leave. Their stories highlight surprising new migration routes – from Lisbon to Luanda, Dublin to Perth, Barcelona to Buenos Aires – as well as more traditional migration patterns.}}
  • To be a highlight of.
  • To mark (important passages of text) with a usually fluorescent marker as a means of memory retention or for later reference.
  • To dye (part of the hair) a different color than the rest.