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
-
The protagonist tacks between monikers, dissatisfied by what each represents.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Celine’s signature gold metal triomphe motif was festooned on the ankle strap, while the bottom of the sole was engraved with the luxury label’s moniker in gold letters.—
Kelsey Stewart,
Footwear News,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Now armed with a new perspective on her own life and her father’s, the past takes on new meaning.—
Nora Dahlia,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
-
To understand the soul may have required silk, cheesecloth, cotton wool, even offal—but these mundane materials, Warner shows us, held meaning.—
David Wingrave,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Loomis categorized the different types of brain waves into what became known as sleep states, and created a nomenclature to describe the phases of unconsciousness.—
Yasemin Saplakoglu,
Quanta Magazine,
17 Oct. 2025
-
No last-minute deal being reached, the spending law funding the U.S. government lapsed at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 1 and the federal government, in the common nomenclature, is shutting down.—
Todd Spangler,
Freep.com,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
This, plus the ongoing calls among family members, maintains a powerful sense of human connection and love.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Oct. 2025
-
The move turned out to be a blessing for Harrison, who has felt a sense of relief since leaving the dating show.—
Lauryn Overhultz,
FOXNews.com,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Their name has not yet been released by officials.—
Amy McCarthy,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
-
The star, whose birth name was Windham Rotunda, was himself a third-generation wrestler, as the son of Mike and the grandson of Blackjack Mulligan.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Protectionism assumed a metaphysical significance for Canadians concerned about losing their identity and autonomy.—
Dónal Gill,
The Dial,
28 Oct. 2025
-
While many of the Romans and Greeks who came to the city were undoubtedly here for the warm waters, the place had great religious significance as the site of a Plutonium cave, or entrance to Hell.—
Barry Neild,
CNN Money,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The Dodgers are looking to become baseball's first back-to-back champions in a quarter-century, as the Blue Jays hope to win their first World Series title since 1993.—
Gabe Smallson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
-
After his 21 goals had helped steer John Mousinho’s side to the League One title the previous season, Bishop reported for pre-season in high spirits and in peak physical shape ahead of his first campaign in the Championship.—
Tom Burrows,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Perhaps even the idea of an upscale magazine in the mold of Vanity Fair is simply less meaningful in a contemporary media landscape where celebrities constantly churn out their own content and popular culture is fragmented across a landscape of mid-sized creators.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Physicists were baffled as to why this material would suddenly stop conducting current once the tellurium content reached approximately 30 percent—a change that its basic chemical composition could not explain.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Denotation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/denotation. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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