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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

Derived Forms

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

It finds that "reality" is a denotative term, a word used to designate indifferently everything that happens.

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

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.

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

To use the phraseology of Harvard and Radcliffe, the Sulphite is connotative, the Bromide denotative.

From Are You a Bromide? The Sulphitic Theory Expounded and Exemplified According to the Most Recent Researches into the Psychology of Boredom Including Many Well-Known Bromidioms Now in Use by Burgess, Gelett

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