connotative

American  

[kon-uh-tey-tiv, kuh-noh-tuh-] / ˈkɒn əˌteɪ tɪv, kəˈnoʊ tə- /

adjective

1. (of a word or expression) signifying or suggestive of an associative or secondary meaning in addition to the primary meaning.

   His singing voice can best be described by the connotative word “velvet.”

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Etymology

Origin of connotative

First recorded in 1610–20; from Medieval Latin connotātīvus, equivalent to connotāt(us), past participle of connotāre connote ( def. ) + -īvus -ive ( def. )

Example Sentences

Include only what was seen and heard, with no subjective interpretation or connotative language, and as few drawn conclusions as possible.

From Slate • Mar. 7, 2019

Litspam text, along with early comment spam and the strange spam blogs described in the next section, is the expression of an entirely different intentionality without the connotative structure produced by a human writer.

From Scientific American • Jun. 19, 2013

You might suggest a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, but that forsakes the connotative power of language.

From The Guardian • Jul. 28, 2011

Vicki Hamer University of Northern Colorado Greeley, Colo Contrary to those people who decry the additional connotative meaning of words, I see the "loaded" quality in words as one of the great beauties of language.

From Time Magazine Archive

The effectiveness of the expression may often be strengthened by the addition of specific, picture-making, imitative, and connotative words, as well as of figures of speech that clarify the ideas and stimulate the imagination.

From How To Write Special Feature Articles A Handbook for Reporters, Correspondents and Free-Lance Writers Who Desire to Contribute to Popular Magazines and Magazine Sections of Newspapers by Bleyer, Willard Grosvenor