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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 These positive connotations associated with scientific research help the AI industry signal altruism while downplaying their profit-making ambitions. — Matthew Sun, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2026 But Canada is just far enough away to be a legitimate escape, while also carrying a host of related connotations. — Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 19 Aug. 2026 Gurel writes that the associations with hippies, dieting, and dessert-like snacks all gave yogurt a feminine connotation. — Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 11 Aug. 2026 The designation carries a distinct, often personal connotation. — Klara Auerbach, Washington Post, 11 Aug. 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
  • Another perspective challenges the article’s implication that Latino men should vote as a unified anti-Trump bloc.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
  • These raises were initially denied — along with all other proposals with budget implications.
    — Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of implication
Noun
  • Dolce’s cool, reductive architectural sense, with its airy vistas and great open spaces inside and out (perfect for their energetic Labradors, Lola and her son, Dali), is cluttered with the eclectic bounty that Gabbana has assembled over the years.
    — Hamish Bowles, Vogue, 20 Sep. 2026
  • In an opinion essay Sunday, a trio of 1st Amendment and antitrust experts dismissed Paramount’s threat to leave Los Angeles as a ploy that doesn’t make business sense.
    — Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of sense
Noun
  • In advance of that meeting, letters, pamphlets, and articles started to fly around the nation, debating the meaning of Judaism and the place of the Jews in America.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
  • For centuries, Italian culture has placed people at the center of creation, seeing beauty not as an end in itself, but as a way to improve lives, create meaning and build connections.
    — Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of meaning
Noun
  • And maybe – just maybe – the first hint that the Florida Gators are starting to look like the Florida Gators again.
    — Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Process until very smooth and fluffy with no hint of graininess (this can take up to a minute), stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice if necessary.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of hint
Noun
  • Its analysis found that 74% of those mentions were tied to real-world projects rather than coursework, an indication students are trying to demonstrate their applied experience.
    — Corynn Winston, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2026
  • As an indication of how frequently Griffin uses helicopters, Kasdin said Griffin used a rental helicopter from Watson Island 61 times last year.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of indication
Noun
  • The proposal’s definition included in-vitro-transcribed RNA — the technology used in mRNA vaccines.
    — Sally C. Pipes, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2026
  • So that fascinated me, the fact that these fields were somehow kind of edgy in terms of our definition of the scientific method and so on.
    — David Brooks, The Atlantic, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of definition
Noun
  • The lasting sign of our passage was a suggestion of movement, a sinuous shape of memory in the grass, like the game trail of some new, mechanical beast burst out of evolutionary time.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The suggestion that her speech came from a lack of effort or support is particularly difficult for Jones given her own childhood.
    — Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of suggestion
Noun
  • Qatar is conveying messages between the parties, Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said on Sunday in New York.
    — Lauren Morganbesser, semafor.com, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The Ostrich Army, though, dismissed the courts as corrupt and, beginning in late January 2025, started to flood CFIA offices with hateful messages and threats.
    — J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 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 27 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on connotation

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about connotation

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