underscoring

Underscoring is a term used to describe two related but distinct practices aimed at drawing attention or adding emphasis. In typography, underscoring refers to the practice of placing a line beneath text to indicate emphasis or to distinguish a section from surrounding material. Historically, manuscripts relied on underlining or other marks for emphasis in the absence of consistent typographic features; with the advent of italics and bold type, underlining became less common for printed emphasis, though it persisted in handwriting and in certain style guides. In digital writing today, underlining is often reserved for hyperlinks, while emphasis is commonly conveyed through italics or bold.

In the realm of music and dramatic media, underscoring describes the use of a musical score to accompany and underscore the on-screen or on-stage action. This non-diegetic music helps establish mood, signal emotional shifts, or heighten tension independent of the characters’ voices. It contrasts with diegetic music, which is heard by the characters in the scene. The practice is central to film scoring and television scoring, and is analyzed in terms of how musical motifs align with narrative beats.

The word derives from under + score, literally a line beneath text or, by extension, a means of giving emphasis or support to the message.