A connotation is the feeling a word invokes. But take note! A denotation is what the word literally says. If these words were on a trip, connotation would be the baggage, and denotation would be the traveler. Show A connotation is the baggage a word or idea drags around. The word "baggage" often has a negative connotation. If you say someone has baggage, unless they're at the airport, you mean the person is lugging around some drama. Some words, like "awesome birthday cake," have a positive connotation. Here are some other examples:
Denotation is literally the word for a word! It's the literal meaning of a word, a gesture, or any mark, without emotion. No strings attached. The root of denotation means, "make a note of." Let's make a note of these examples:
People love to read between the lines, so connotation is more popular, but it's often held up against its more rigid friend denotation.
In order to continue enjoying our site, we ask that you confirm your identity as a human. Thank you very much for your cooperation. A connotation is a commonly understood cultural or emotional association that any given word or phrase carries, in addition to its explicit or literal meaning, which is its denotation.
A connotation is frequently described as either positive or negative, with regard to its pleasing or displeasing emotional connection.[1] For example, a stubborn person may be described as being either strong-willed or pig-headed; although these have the same literal meaning (stubborn), strong-willed connotes admiration for the level of someone's will (a positive connotation), while pig-headed connotes frustration in dealing with someone (a negative connotation).
"Connotation" branches into a mixture of different meanings. These could include the contrast of a word or phrase with its primary, literal meaning (known as a denotation), with what that word or phrase specifically denotes. The connotation essentially relates to how anything may be associated with a word or phrase; for example, an implied value, judgement or feelings.[2] In logic and semantics, connotation is roughly synonymous with intension. Connotation is often contrasted with denotation, which is more or less synonymous with extension. Alternatively, the connotation of the word may be thought of as the set of all its possible referents (as opposed to merely the actual ones). A word's denotation is the collection of things it refers to; its connotation is what it implies about the things it is used to refer to ( a second level of meanings is termed connotative ). The connotation of dog is (something like) four-legged canine carnivore. So saying, "You are a dog" would connote that you were ugly or aggressive rather than literally denoting you as a canine.[3] It is often useful to avoid words with strong connotations (especially pejorative or disparaging ones) when striving to achieve a neutral point of view. A desire for more positive connotations, or fewer negative ones, is one of the main reasons for using euphemisms.[4] Semiotic closure, as defined by Terry Eagleton, concerns "a sealed world of ideological stability, which repels the disruptive, decentered forces of language in the name of an imaginary unity. Signs are ranked by a certain covert violence into rigidly hierarchical order. . . . The process of forging ‘representations’ always involves this arbitrary closing of the signifying chain, constricting the free play of the signifier to a spuriously determinate meaning which can then be received by the subject as natural and inevitable".[5] The denotation is a representation of a cartoon heart. The connotation is a symbol of love and affection.
The denotation of this example is a red rose with a green stem. The connotation is that it is a symbol of passion and love – this is what the rose represents.
The denotation is a brown cross. The connotation is a symbol of religion, according to the media connotation. However, to be more specific this is a symbol of Christianity.
Look up connotation in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
If you’re in the business of defining and explaining words (which we are), it’s important to know the difference between denotation and connotation. These two terms are easy to confuse because they refer to related concepts. And every word can have both denotation and connotation. So what do they mean? In this article, we’ll explain the difference, give you tips for how to remember it, and provide examples of what both words refer to.
The denotation of a word or expression is its direct meaning. Its connotation consists of the ideas or meanings associated with it or suggested by it. For example, the word homework refers to schoolwork done outside of school—that’s its denotation. For many people, the word has a negative connotation—meaning that the word itself gives them a bad feeling associated with the experience of having to do homework when they’d rather be doing something else. What is the difference between denotation and connotation?The denotation of a word or expression is its explicit or direct meaning, as distinguished from the ideas or meanings associated with it or suggested by it. Simply put, a word’s denotation is what that word means or directly represents. The meaning of denotation becomes more clear when it’s contrasted with connotation. When someone refers to a word’s connotation, they’re referring to what it implies or suggests—or to the secondary meanings or implications that are associated with it. The word connotation is commonly used in the phrases positive connotation and negative connotation. That’s because people associate good or bad things with a lot of words. Let’s illustrate the difference with a simple example. For example, the word home refers to the place where you live—it could be a house, an apartment, etc. This is the word’s denotation. For many people, the word home has a positive connotation—it’s associated with safety, comfort, and a sense of belonging. These associations and implications make up the word’s connotation. What’s with the sinister connotation with being left-handed? The connotation of a word depends on cultural context and personal associations, but the denotation of a word is its standardized meaning within the language. Another way to think about it is that a word’s denotation is the same or about the same for most people. When you say “bicycle,” other English speakers generally know what you’re talking about. Some may picture a mountain bike while others picture a road bike, but they’re thinking about the same general thing. While a word’s connotation may be widely shared, different words often have different connotations for different people. Both denotation and connotation stem from the Latin word notāre, meaning “to note.” One way to remember the difference between the terms is to take a hint from how they begin. The con- in connotation comes from a Latin term meaning “together” or “with,” reminding us that the connotation of a word works with or alongside its primary, explicit meaning—its denotation. denotative vs. connotativeThe words denotative and connotative are the adjective forms of denotation and connotation. They’re used in the same context—to describe words or meanings. For example, describing a word as connotative means that it suggests more than its straightforward meaning. All words are denotative, and any word can be connotative if it has particular associations for a person. denote vs. connoteThe verb denote means “to indicate” (as in A fever often denotes an infection) or “to mean” (as in What is this supposed to denote?). Connote means “to signify or suggest (certain meanings, ideas, etc.) in addition to the explicit or primary meaning.” |