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.
OTHER WORDS FOR connotation
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Compare denotation.
Origin of connotation
OTHER WORDS FROM connotation
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use connotation in a sentence
We just had to deal with the misconceptions, negative connotations and people who didn’t always want to give it the credibility it deserves.
How break dancing made the leap from ’80s pop culture to the Olympic stage|Rick Maese|February 9, 2021|Washington PostIt is a word with intrinsically negative connotations that is generally applied to one’s enemies and opponents.
Two years ago, it launched a “work from home” week, both to test its mettle when it comes to conducting business virtually and to address negative connotations with remote work.
Working From Home Was a Big Shift Even for the Companies Making the Gear We're Using to Work From Home|Patrick Lucas Austin|August 24, 2020|Time
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.