connotation

noun

con·no·ta·tion | \ ˌkä-nə-ˈtā-shən

Definition of connotation

1a : something suggested by a word or thing : implication the connotations of comfort that surrounded that old chair

b : the suggesting of a meaning by a word apart from the thing it explicitly names or describes

2 : the signification of something … that abuse of logic which consists in moving counters about as if they were known entities with a fixed connotation.— William Ralph Inge

3 : an essential property or group of properties of a thing named by a term in logic — compare denotation

Other Words from connotation What’s the difference between connotation and denotation ? More Example Sentences Learn More about connotation

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What’s the difference between connotation and denotation ?

Connotation and denotation are easily confused, and the fact that neither word is particularly common in everyday use makes it difficult for many people to get a firm grip on the difference between them. While each of these two words has several possible meanings, they are notably distinct from each other in all senses. Denotation is concerned with explicit meaning, and connotation tends to be concerned with implicit meaning. The word home, for instance, has a denotation of “the place (such as a house or apartment) where a person lives,” but it may additionally have many connotations (such as “warmth,” “security,” or “childhood”) for some people.

Examples of connotation in a Sentence

Miuccia Prada, a connoisseur of vintage jewelry, has a collection of tiaras and subverts their formal connotations by wearing them for the day. — Hamish Bowles, Vogue, March 1997 Suddenly, Hsun-ching brightened. "So this is propaganda?" Alison did not know that, in Chinese, the word for propaganda literally means to spread information, and does not carry any negative connotations. — Mark Salzman, The Laughing Sutra, 1991 The word "evolution," with its connotation of unrolling, of progressive development, was not favored by Darwin; he preferred the bleak phrase "descent with modification" for his theory. — John Updike, New Yorker, 30 Dec. 1985 a word with negative connotations For many people, the word “fat” has negative connotations. The word “childlike” has connotations of innocence.

Recent Examples on the Web

Perdue, a former Georgia governor, may or may not have been aware of, and intentionally drawing on, these connotations. — Rachel Withers, Vox, "Trump’s top agriculture official calls Florida’s gubernatorial race “cotton-pickin’ important”," 4 Nov. 2018 The mutual benefit is a marked difference from decades ago, when there was a negative connotation of even listening to drinking songs in country bars. — Emily Yahr, chicagotribune.com, "Country music's sobering truths," 30 June 2018 The Windsor Estate, where Frogmore Cottage is, has very obvious positive connotations for the couple—their engagement photos and wedding reception took place there. — Katherine J. Igoe, Marie Claire, "Frogmore Cottage Is Reportedly "Dilapidated"," 30 Nov. 2018 Originally known as eternity bracelets, the bands didn't pick up their court connotations until women's tennis champion Chris Evert came along. — Lauren Hubbard, Town & Country, "How Chris Evert's US Open Match Gave the Tennis Bracelet Its Name," 6 Sep. 2018 Indeed the word zombie, which previously carried Caribbean connotations, is never even spoken by Romero’s characters; the creatures are referred to as flesh-eating ghouls instead. — David Mermelstein, WSJ, "A Zombie Classic Gets a New Life," 23 Oct. 2018 Maybe then, the solution is to redefine the connotations of contouring. — Sandra Song, Teen Vogue, "How I Stopped Believing the Contouring Myths That Are Constantly Directed at Asian Women," 30 Nov. 2018 The emphasis on celebrating each child (and creature)'s uniqueness may offer a welcome alternative to people who dislike the connotations of Elf of the Shelf. — Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, "This New "Reindeer in Here" Toy Is the More Positive Version of Your Christmas Elf," 23 Oct. 2018 Amid the connotations of dirt and impurity surrounding women’s natural cycles, Feingold wanted to show the reverse. — Christina Cacouris, Marie Claire, "This Artist Uses Gold and Glitter to Destigmatize Period Blood," 11 Sep. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'connotation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.