emotive meaning

noun

the emotional connotation of a word or expression that is used instead of one having a similar meaning but less affective quality, as the connotation of “murder” when used instead of “homicide” or “drunk” instead of “inebriated.”

Origin of emotive meaning

First recorded in 1940–45

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018