connotation
[ kon-uh-tey-shuhn ]
/ ˌkɒn əˈteɪ ʃən /
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noun
- the associated or secondary meaning of a word or expression in addition to its explicit or primary meaning: A possible connotation of “home” is “a place of warmth, comfort, and affection.”
- the act of connoting; the suggesting of an additional meaning for a word or expression, apart from its explicit meaning.
something suggested or implied by a word or thing, rather than being explicitly named or described: “Religion” has always had a negative connotation for me.
Logic. the set of attributes constituting the meaning of a term and thus determining the range of objects to which that term may be applied; comprehension; intension.
SYNONYMS FOR connotation
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Let’s start with some etymology: What are the origins of the typographical word “bracket”?
First appeared around 1750, and is related to the French word “braguette” for the name of codpiece armor.
First appeared in 1610, based on the French word “baguette” for the long loaf of bread.
First appeared in 1555, and is related to the French word “raquette” for a netted bat.
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Compare denotation.
Origin of connotation
OTHER WORDS FROM connotation
Words nearby connotation
conniving, connoisseur, Connolly, Connor, Connors, connotation, connotative, connote, Conn's syndrome, connubial, conodont
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for connotation
British Dictionary definitions for connotation
connotation
/ (ˌkɒnəˈteɪʃən) /
noun
an association or idea suggested by a word or phrase; implication
the act or fact of connoting
logic another name for intension (def. 1)
Derived forms of connotation
connotative (ˈkɒnəˌteɪtɪv, kəˈnəʊtə-) or connotive, adjectiveconnotatively or connotively, adverbCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cultural definitions for connotation
connotation
The meaning that a word suggests or implies. A connotation includes the emotions or associations that surround a word. For example, the word modern strictly means “belonging to recent times,” but the word's connotations can include such notions as “new, up to date, experimental.”
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.