denotation

[ dee-noh-tey-shuhn ]

noun

1. the explicit or direct meaning or set of meanings of a word or expression, as distinguished from the ideas or meanings associated with it or suggested by it; the association or set of associations that a word usually elicits for most speakers of a language, as distinguished from those elicited for any individual speaker because of personal experience.
2. a word that names or signifies something specific:

   “Wind” is the denotation for air in natural motion. “Poodle” is the denotation for a certain breed of dog.

3. the act or fact of denoting; indication.
4. something that denotes; mark; symbol.
5. Logic.
   1. the class of particulars to which a term is applicable.
   2. that which is represented by a sign.

denotation

/ ˌdiːnəʊˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of denoting; indication
2. a particular meaning, esp one given explicitly rather than by suggestion
3. 1. something designated or referred to Compare referent connotation
   2. another name for extension

denotation

1. The basic dictionary meaning of a word, without its connotations . For example, the denotation of the word modern is “belonging to recent times,” although the word may have different connotations.

Word History and Origins

Origin of denotation¹

1525–35; < Latin dēnotātiōn- (stem of dēnotātiō ) a marking out, equivalent to dēnotāt ( us ) (past participle of dēnotāre; denote ) + -iōn- -ion

Example Sentences

You’ll find circles, as in denotations for birdies, under holes No.

From Washington Post

To fix the connotation of a concrete name, or the denotation of the corresponding abstract, is to define the name.

From Project Gutenberg

The denotation of this eery evil tread of ruined lives grated terribly on Lem's highly tensioned nerves.

From Project Gutenberg

It is common to distinguish two aspects, meaning and denotation, such phrases as "the author of Waverley."

From Project Gutenberg

For if the denotation alone were relevant, any other phrase with the same denotation would give the same proposition.

From Project Gutenberg

A second reason is that propositions concerning "the so-and-so" are possible even when "the so-and-so" has no denotation.

From Project Gutenberg