noun

• (linguistics) A higher-pitched or stronger (louder or longer) articulation of a particular syllable of a word or phrase in order to distinguish it from the others or to emphasize it.
  "In the word "careful", the accent is placed on the first syllable."
• (figuratively) Emphasis or importance in general.
  "At this hotel, the accent is on luxury."
• (orthography) A mark or character used in writing, in order to indicate the place of the spoken accent, or to indicate the nature or quality of the vowel marked.
  "The name Cézanne is written with an acute accent."
• (linguistics, sociolinguistics) The distinctive manner of pronouncing a language associated with a particular region, social group, etc., whether of a native speaker or a foreign speaker; the phonetic and phonological aspects of a dialect.
  "a foreign accent"

verb

• (transitive) To express the accent of vocally; to utter with accent.
• (transitive) To mark emphatically; to emphasize; to accentuate; to make prominent.
• (transitive) To mark with written accents.