1
as in moniker
a word or combination of words by which a person or thing is regularly known
"soul" is the common denotation for that mysterious force within the human body that gives it life and yet is separate from it
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2
as in meaning
the idea that is conveyed or intended to be conveyed to the mind by language, symbol, or action
although most people exercise for fitness, the denotation of the term "fitness" varies from exerciser to exerciser
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Recent Examples of denotation
Controlled denotations were conducted Sunday at the site to dispose of hazardous materials, the agency said.
—
Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 13 Oct. 2025
How much control, at this point, the subcommittee can exert over emoji denotation and connotation isn’t clear.
—Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 29 June 2025
But the New Zealand Department of Conservation lists the reptiles as at risk — relict, a denotation reserved for species that declined to a small population but have since stabilized.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 22 July 2024
Language, unlike code, has connotations and denotations that make organizing it for human consumption a much more complex task, says Dr. Harbin.
—Leonardo Bevilacqua, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 June 2024
What does 4/20 mean? April 20, or 4/20 in its calendar denotation, is a holiday celebrated by many weed-smokers both in the United States and around the globe.
—Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 19 Apr. 2023
Cleverly staging appearance as disappearance, connotation serves as denotation.
—Jerrine Tan, Wired, 4 Aug. 2022
Deaths are included if a person has a positive COVID-19 test and a death certificate denotation, a record of symptoms consistent with COVID-19 that progress from illness to death, or a determination by the medical examiner’s office that there is no other cause of death, Trimble said.
—Dallas News, 5 Aug. 2020
Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 13 Oct. 2025
How much control, at this point, the subcommittee can exert over emoji denotation and connotation isn’t clear.
—Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 29 June 2025
But the New Zealand Department of Conservation lists the reptiles as at risk — relict, a denotation reserved for species that declined to a small population but have since stabilized.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 22 July 2024
Language, unlike code, has connotations and denotations that make organizing it for human consumption a much more complex task, says Dr. Harbin.
—Leonardo Bevilacqua, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 June 2024
What does 4/20 mean? April 20, or 4/20 in its calendar denotation, is a holiday celebrated by many weed-smokers both in the United States and around the globe.
—Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 19 Apr. 2023
Cleverly staging appearance as disappearance, connotation serves as denotation.
—Jerrine Tan, Wired, 4 Aug. 2022
Deaths are included if a person has a positive COVID-19 test and a death certificate denotation, a record of symptoms consistent with COVID-19 that progress from illness to death, or a determination by the medical examiner’s office that there is no other cause of death, Trimble said.
—Dallas News, 5 Aug. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for denotation
Noun
-
On the red carpet at the 2020 Screen Actors Guild Awards, Pitt told People that DiCaprio calls him by a surprising moniker.—
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Curate for a Wide Range of Audience Members Despite its moniker, the festival endeavors to program for a wide array of potential movie-goers.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The name France Libre carries a strong historical meaning.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Mar. 2026
-
No matter how firmly the film tries to grab hold of you and offer something profound amidst the absurdity of the situation, any such meaning eventually slips through the dwindling number of fingers that the film, as well as its characters, have left.—
Chase Hutchinson,
IndieWire,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Until such a ruling, the debate over the nomenclature of poultry bits will beat on, wings against the current.—
EMILY HEIL THE WASHINGTON POST,
Arkansas Online,
1 Mar. 2026
-
Tanking is such an issue that Silver didn’t even try to find more league-friendly nomenclature like Marc Stein’s Draft Positioning Prioritization Mode.—
Zach Harper,
New York Times,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Some of the messages of support seemed motivated by a sense of friendship, or at least celebrity-class solidarity.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
15 Mar. 2026
-
For some, the fact that she was left out makes no sense.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The question box includes a space for your name, but this is optional.—
Carolyn Hax,
Washington Post,
27 Mar. 2026
-
State officials also cited a government code that protects names of superintendent applicants from public release.—
Lina Ruiz,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Given toads held special significance of toads in many southwestern Chinese cultures, archaeologists had to deduce that the drum carried not only music, but deeper messages and meanings.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Mar. 2026
-
And yet what emerges from this elemental minorness is an art form with its own significance.—
Naomi Fry,
New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In 10 seasons in the IHSA, Yorkville Christian has won four regional titles, two sectionals and the Class 1A state title in 2021-22.—
Rick Armstrong,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Case, a player on KU’s 2008 NCAA title team, is in his 11th season on Bill Self’s KU coaching staff.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In mere hours, central Madrid’s historic coffee spot, Café Comercial, will be thronged with content creators, micro-influencers and ‘cool kids’ attending the first in a rolling series of YSL Beauty activations, each envisioned as a block party.—
Joe Bobowicz,
Vogue,
20 Mar. 2026
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The city abruptly announced the rollout Wednesday afternoon, saying the change — the website’s first major overhaul since 2012 — will streamline navigation by reducing its content from about 17,000 pages to roughly 1,300.—
Chaya Tong,
Austin American Statesman,
19 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Denotation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/denotation. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
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