connotation

noun

Definition of connotationnext
as in implication
an idea or quality that is suggested by a word or thing a word with positive connotations The word "childlike" has connotations of innocence.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of connotation Because materialism had an irreligious connotation, Hattem says it was left out of the national conversation until the Gilded Age of the 1920s, when people start saying the quiet part out loud. — Cari Shane, USA Today, 25 June 2026 Macchio’s other song picks all have references to religion or deities, whereas the Cohen song is entirely secular in nature, despite the connotations that have been placed on it by some performers as it has become popularized in recent years. — Chris Willman, Variety, 24 June 2026 That French idiom about having long teeth — les dents longues — can have negative connotations about a person’s ambitious streak. — Oliver Kay, New York Times, 15 June 2026 Pavers or concrete designed to mimic natural stone slabs visually break up the surface, staving off parking lot connotations. — Marisa Suzanne Martin, The Spruce, 21 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for connotation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for connotation
  1. implication
  2. sense
  3. meaning
  4. hint
  5. indication
  6. definition
  7. suggestion
  8. message
Noun
  • Understanding how the brain predicts movement has implications far beyond tennis.
    — Michelle Spear, Scientific American, 11 July 2026
  • Experts say that will also have implications for other designations beyond Haiti and Syria.
    — Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 11 July 2026
Definition of implication
Noun
  • Nothing will shake you and wake you like having your senses, your assumptions, your very identity overrun by hour upon hour of First Nations music, dancing, ceremony, and vitality on this patch of Apsáalooke (Crow) land.
    — Matt Thompson, SPIN, 14 July 2026
  • SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe.
    — Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 14 July 2026
Definition of sense
Noun
  • The whole point of originalism, as espoused by the late Justice Antonin Scalia and (in theory) the court’s current conservatives, is that the meaning of the Constitution depends on what the public thought its words meant when it was ratified.
    — Noah Feldman, Mercury News, 14 July 2026
  • Many of the pieces hold special meanings like luck, wealth, prosperity and fertility.
    — Fousia Abdullahi, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 July 2026
Definition of meaning
Noun
  • An abundance of hints, clues and other helpful items await, not to mention a bonus Custom Wordle and plenty more.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 12 July 2026
  • The hint of an organizing ethos makes their second consecutive team-up with producer and boomer whisperer Andrew Watt feel connected to and entrenched in the modern world while the band pokes around its sweet spots.
    — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 10 July 2026
Definition of hint
Noun
  • This is a clear indication that price hikes offset occupancy loss.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 17 July 2026
  • If social media and the early reviews are any indication, there is no consensus favorite among supporting actors or actresses, with the possible exception of Samantha Morton.
    — Clayton Davis, Variety, 17 July 2026
Definition of indication
Noun
  • So the same buyer can meet an agent gateway sold as inference infrastructure, an authorization runtime, a developer platform, or a security-posture tool and the definitions do not yet align.
    — Janakiram MSV, Forbes.com, 6 July 2026
  • Recently, the Illinois Register proposed amending the administrative code to update the definitions of the various alcohol categories solely by their production process — not their alcohol content.
    — Adam Hoffer, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026
Definition of definition
Noun
  • The suggestion that Pebley’s removal was a sign that the team is performing poorly didn’t sit well with coach Lynne Roberts.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026
  • There is also a suggestion that a certain kind of acupuncture may help.
    — Meg Tirrell, CNN Money, 14 July 2026
Definition of suggestion
Noun
  • The juxtaposition of the two messages illuminates the deepening faultlines and anxieties within the technological competition between the US and China, which the rapid rise of AI is only deepening.
    — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 17 July 2026
  • This story is based on dozens of interviews with Jean, her friends and colleagues, law enforcement officials, psychologists, academics and experts in the field of romance scams, as well as a review of more than 10,000 messages.
    — Juliet Linderman, Fortune, 16 July 2026
Definition of message

Browse Nearby Words

connoisseurs
connotation
connotations
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Cite this Entry

“Connotation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/connotation. Accessed 19 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on connotation

Nglish: Translation of connotation for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about connotation

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