Highlight vs. Highlights – Which is Correct?
Both “highlight” and “highlights” are correct English forms. “Highlight” is the base verb or singular noun, while “highlights” is the third-person singular verb form or plural noun. Use “highlight” for one feature or action and “highlights” for multiple features or an action performed by he, she, or it in context.
When describing how one idea differs from another, Compare vs. Contrast offers a useful distinction.
Highlight or Highlights – Which is Correct?
Highlight and highlights are both correct. The difference is grammatical: highlight is the base form of the verb and the singular form of the noun, while highlights is either the plural noun or the third-person singular form of the verb.
As a verb, highlight means to emphasize, draw attention to, or mark something with color. For example, “Please highlight the important points.” With a singular third-person subject, use highlights: “The report highlights several risks.”
As a noun, a highlight is one especially important, enjoyable, or noticeable feature. The plural form, highlights, refers to two or more such features. The word can also describe lighter sections of hair.
The Best Trick to Remember the Difference
Use the one-versus-more test. If you mean one important feature, write highlight; if you mean several important features, write highlights. For verbs, check the subject: “I highlight” and “they highlight,” but “he highlights,” “she highlights,” and “the article highlights.”
| Word | Part of Speech | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| highlight | Verb or singular noun | To emphasize; one important feature | Please highlight the key sentence. |
| highlights | Plural noun or third-person singular verb | Several important features; emphasizes with he, she, or it | The summary highlights three findings. |
How to Use Highlight
Use highlight as a verb when you want to emphasize information, identify something visually, or call attention to an important point. It commonly appears in academic, professional, journalistic, and casual communication.
As a noun, highlight identifies the most important, memorable, or enjoyable part of an event, experience, document, or performance. It may also refer to a light-colored section of hair or a marked passage of text.
Example 1: Please highlight the changes in the revised contract.
Example 2: The concert was the highlight of our vacation.
Example 3: She used golden highlights to brighten her hair.
What are the different forms of highlight?
As a regular verb, highlight follows the standard English pattern. Its main forms are highlight, highlights, highlighted, and highlighting. Use highlights with a singular third-person subject, highlighted for the past tense and past participle, and highlighting for the present participle or gerund.
As a noun, the plural of highlight is highlights. For example, “The article contains one highlight” refers to a single feature, while “The article contains several highlights” refers to multiple features.
Etymology of the word highlight
Highlight combines high, meaning prominent or important, with light, meaning brightness or illumination. It originally referred to the brightest part of a picture or visual composition. Its meaning later expanded to include an important feature, a marked passage, and the act of emphasizing information.
How to Use Highlights
Use highlights in two primary ways. As a plural noun, it refers to multiple important features, memorable moments, marked passages, or lighter sections of hair. As a verb, it is the third-person singular form of highlight and means that one person, organization, document, or thing emphasizes something.
The noun is common in summaries, travel writing, entertainment coverage, sports reporting, and personal accounts. The verb is especially useful in formal and professional writing because it clearly signals the main points of a report or argument.
Example 1: The presentation highlights the company’s strongest results.
Example 2: The museum guide lists the highlights of the new exhibition.
Example 3: Her highlights give her dark hair a warmer appearance.
What are the different forms of highlights?
Highlights has two grammatical uses. As a plural noun, it is the plural form of highlight. As a verb, it is the present-tense form used with he, she, it, or another singular subject. The related verb forms are highlight, highlighted, and highlighting.
Do not use highlights with the pronouns I, you, we, or they. Write “They highlight the main issue,” not “They highlights the main issue.”
Etymology of the word highlights
Highlights is formed by adding the regular plural or third-person singular ending -s to highlight. It has the same historical origin as highlight, combining the ideas of prominence and brightness.
Related Concepts
Understanding number, subject-verb agreement, and parts of speech makes it easier to choose between highlight and highlights.
- Singular and plural nouns: A singular noun names one person, place, thing, or idea, while a plural noun names more than one. Use highlight for one feature and highlights for several.
- Subject-verb agreement: A verb must agree with its subject. Use highlights with a singular third-person subject, but use highlight with I, you, we, and they.
- Regular verb forms: The verb highlight forms its past tense by adding -ed, producing highlighted, and its present participle by adding -ing, producing highlighting.
- Polysemy: A polysemous word has related meanings. Highlight can refer to emphasis, a memorable feature, a marked passage, or a lighter section of hair.
Examples from Media and Literature
- News writing: A report may say that a new study highlights changes in public health, using the verb to identify the study’s main emphasis.
- Sports coverage: A recap may describe the game’s final goal as the highlight of the match.
- Travel writing: A guidebook may list the highlights of a city, such as museums, historic buildings, and popular neighborhoods.
- Academic writing: A student may highlight a passage in a novel to mark an important theme or quotation.
- Film and television: A review may explain that a particular performance highlights the emotional strength of the story.
Highlight Synonyms
| Synonym | Definition |
|---|---|
| Emphasize | To give special importance or attention to something. |
| Stress | To emphasize a point, fact, or idea strongly. |
| Underline | To draw attention to an important idea or detail. |
| Accentuate | To make a feature more noticeable or prominent. |
| Feature | To give someone or something prominent attention. |
Highlights Synonyms
| Synonym | Definition |
|---|---|
| Emphasizes | Gives special importance or attention to something. |
| Stresses | Presents a point as especially important. |
| Features | Gives prominence to a person, thing, or quality. |
| Main points | The most important ideas or details in a subject. |
| Key moments | The most significant or memorable events. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Question 1: Is “highlight” or “highlights” correct?
Both are correct. Use highlight as the base verb or singular noun, and use highlights as the plural noun or the verb form for a singular third-person subject.
Question 2: What is the plural of highlight?
The plural is highlights. For example, “The article discusses the highlights of the conference.”
Question 3: Should I write “the report highlight” or “the report highlights”?
Write “the report highlights” because report is a singular third-person subject. For a plural subject, write “the reports highlight the findings.”
Question 4: Is “highlight” a noun or a verb?
It can be either. As a noun, it means an important feature or memorable moment. As a verb, it means to emphasize or draw attention to something.
Question 5: What is the past tense of highlight?
The past tense is highlighted. For example, “The speaker highlighted three important concerns.”
Conclusion
Highlight and highlights are both correct, but they serve different grammatical purposes. Use highlight for a singular noun or the base verb, and use highlights for multiple features or a verb with a singular third-person subject. Pro Tip: Accurate subject-verb agreement and careful word choice strengthen your professional reputation.
