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
-
Inside the little toy are over 5 million names on an SD card, submitted by folks around the world looking to fly their monikers to the moon.—
Elizabeth Howell,
Space.com,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Others prefer popular monikers.—
Erica Jackson Curran,
Parents,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The roar of applause from a grieving mother, not to mention a hug and handshake, has a deeper meaning.—
Jermont Terry,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Rather, works of art are singular creations that convey meaning and embody cultural expressions.—
Brian Boucher,
ARTnews.com,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine — Clinical Terms (SNOMED CT), the organization that determines global standards for health terms, receives up to 2,000 requests to amend nomenclature every year, either from individual members or groups.—
Annalisa Merelli,
STAT,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Apart from achieving popular success by bringing botany to the people, Lamarck’s major purpose in French Flora was to exploit what seemed to be a little opening in the field of botany in the form of a rift among botanists regarding nomenclature.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The story is something of a palimpsest, with Romvari’s own perspective intertwining with the character’s and conveying a sense of being both inside and outside the action.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2026
-
What’s left is a false sense of urgency that will lead to a budget finalized mostly in the dark, with too many decisions made by staffers and lobbyists.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The day became a trip down memory lane, Quick said, and the Rangers all took the ice for warmups wearing jerseys with his name and number 32 on the back.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Famous names like Freddie Mercury and David and Victoria Beckham have long been associated with Kensington, one of London’s most affluent areas.—
Demetrius Simms,
Robb Report,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Yet Monday’s flyby — the first time humans had reached the moon since 1972 — held emotional significance for the crew and space enthusiasts beyond the mission’s technical objectives.—
Noah Haggerty,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Apr. 2026
-
The true significance of Pakistan's intervention only became clear when both sides agreed to a pause shortly after a down-to-the-wire plea from the country's prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif.—
Betsy Joles,
NPR,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Having already won the Atlantic Division title, Buffalo (50-23-9) rested numerous starters, including captain Rasmus Dahlin and scoring leader Tage Thompson.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
In March, Dunia Sibomana-Rodriguez won the National High School Coaches Association title at 123 pounds, his latest achievement in a stellar high school wrestling career.—
Daniel S. Levine,
PEOPLE,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
One of the easiest ways to revive it is by mixing in fresh compost, which improves both texture and nutrient content.—
Jessica Safavimehr,
Southern Living,
16 Apr. 2026
-
The property’s expansion into long-form content began in 2012, when Gummybear Intl.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Denotation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/denotation. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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