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denotative

American  
[dee-noh-tey-tiv, dih-noh-tuh-tiv] / ˈdi noʊˌteɪ tɪv, dɪˈnoʊ tə tɪv /

adjective

  1. having power to denote.

  2. denoting or tending to denote.

    the denotative meaning of a word.


denotative British  
/ dɪˈnəʊtətɪv /

adjective

  1. able to denote; designative

  2. explicit; overt

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • denotatively adverb
  • denotativeness noun
  • nondenotative adjective
  • nondenotatively adverb
  • undenotative adjective
  • undenotatively adverb

Etymology

Origin of denotative

1605–15; < Latin dēnotātus (past participle of dēnotāre to mark out, denote ( def. ) ) + -ive

Vocabulary lists containing denotative

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The denotative meanings of these abbreviations vary over a wide range.

From The Guardian • Jun. 6, 2013

The only way in which the term reality can ever become more than a blanket denotative term is through recourse to specific events in all their diversity and thatness.

From Creative Intelligence Essays in the Pragmatic Attitude by Bode, Boyd H.

Because the denotative power of all words is dependent on the being of Brahman.

From The Vedanta-Sutras with the Commentary by Ramanuja — Sacred Books of the East, Volume 48 by Thibaut, George

A term's denotative function is, to be the name or sign of something or some multitude of things, which are said to be called or denoted by the term.

From Logic Deductive and Inductive by Read, Carveth

Besides their use in illustrating the denotative force of propositions, these circles may be employed to verify the results of Obversion, Conversion, and the secondary modes of Immediate Inference.

From Logic Deductive and Inductive by Read, Carveth