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connotation

noun

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con·no·ta·tion | \ ˌkä-nə-ˈtā-shən

Definition of connotation

1a : something suggested by a word or thing : implication the connotations of comfort that surrounded that old chair

b : the suggesting of a meaning by a word apart from the thing it explicitly names or describes

2 : the signification of something … that abuse of logic which consists in moving counters about as if they were known entities with a fixed connotation.— William Ralph Inge

3 : an essential property or group of properties of a thing named by a term in logic — compare denotation

Other Words from connotation What’s the difference between connotation and denotation ? More Example Sentences Learn More about connotation

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What’s the difference between connotation and denotation ?

Connotation and denotation are easily confused, and the fact that neither word is particularly common in everyday use makes it difficult for many people to get a firm grip on the difference between them. While each of these two words has several possible meanings, they are notably distinct from each other in all senses. Denotation is concerned with explicit meaning, and connotation tends to be concerned with implicit meaning. The word home, for instance, has a denotation of “the place (such as a house or apartment) where a person lives,” but it may additionally have many connotations (such as “warmth,” “security,” or “childhood”) for some people.

Examples of connotation in a Sentence

Miuccia Prada, a connoisseur of vintage jewelry, has a collection of tiaras and subverts their formal connotations by wearing them for the day. — Hamish Bowles, Vogue, March 1997 Suddenly, Hsun-ching brightened. "So this is propaganda?" Alison did not know that, in Chinese, the word for propaganda literally means to spread information, and does not carry any negative connotations. — Mark Salzman, The Laughing Sutra, 1991 The word "evolution," with its connotation of unrolling, of progressive development, was not favored by Darwin; he preferred the bleak phrase "descent with modification" for his theory. — John Updike, New Yorker, 30 Dec. 1985 a word with negative connotations For many people, the word “fat” has negative connotations. The word “childlike” has connotations of innocence.

Recent Examples on the Web While the margin of victory was slim, the connotations were great. — SI.com, "France 4-3 Argentina: The Day France Emerged as World Champions-Elect," 4 Nov. 2019 But those connotations paint an incomplete picture. — Leonard Pitts Jr - Miami Herald, The Mercury News, "Pitts: Does withholding flu shots to detained migrant families constitute evil?," 28 Aug. 2019 Their ability to recognize words with negative connotations, however, deteriorated only 20 percent. — Robert Stickgold, Scientific American, "Beyond Memory: The Benefits of Sleep," 1 Oct. 2015 The phrase carries negative connotations from a dark period in U.S. history. — al, "Methodist split: conservative event organizers respond to critics," 21 Feb. 2020 The noose is an incendiary image with repugnant racial connotations. — Caitlin O'kane, CBS News, "New York judge barred for posting noose and "Make America Great Again" message on Facebook," 18 Sep. 2019 The noose is an incendiary image with repugnant racial connotations. — Ben Kesslen, NBC News, "N.Y. judge barred from bench for posting noose image with 'Make America Great Again' caption," 18 Sep. 2019 That term could take on a more literal connotation between the white lines. — Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY, "'We win, we shut everybody up': After scandal, Astros seek absolution that may never come," 14 Feb. 2020 Seeing a need for more direct language about product performance instead of gender-loaded connotations helped inspire Malin + Goetz’s unisex line, launched in 2004. — Ellen Byron, WSJ, "Does Your Razor Need a Gender?," 1 Feb. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'connotation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.