Bolded

Bolded is the past participle form of bold used to describe text that has been set in bold type. Bold refers to a heavier weight of a font, used to increase contrast and draw attention. In editing and proofreading, bolded terms are often flagged as emphasized or important, and can function as adjectives ("the bolded word") or as a passive construction in instructions ("bolded terms").

In formal writing, some editors discourage the widespread use of "bolded" and prefer alternatives such as "bold text," "boldfaced," or simply "bold." The choice often depends on the style guide in use and the medium (print, digital, or UI text).

In digital formats, bolding is implemented through markup and styling. Markdown indicates bold with double asterisks or underscores, HTML uses the strong or b elements, and LaTeX uses \textbf{...}. In CSS, font-weight: bold applies bold styling to text. These mechanisms convey emphasis without changing the underlying content structure.

Regarding accessibility, bold is a visual cue and not a structural separator. Screen readers may not convey bolded text unless semantic markup such as strong or emphasis is used to signal emphasis. When possible, prefer semantic markup over purely visual styling to ensure meaning is preserved.

See also: Boldface, Typography, Text formatting.