connotation
noun
William Ralph Inge
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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
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.
Miles Socha, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2025
While those connotations may have long since lost their relevance, contemporary designers have been embracing lace more than ever recently, filling collections in New York Bridal Fashion Week with beautiful gowns crafted in the delicate, classic material.
—Shelby Wax, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2025
But when pressed to respond to CNN’s initial inquiry about the controversy over the post – and its far-right connotations – McLaughlin did not respond.
—Chelsea Bailey, CNN Money, 19 Oct. 2025
Is there symbolism in those in Chinese culture, similar to how in Western cultures, fish sometimes have religious connotations?
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for connotation
Cite this Entry
“Connotation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/connotation. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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connotation
noun
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