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
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
Through this preaching, white dominance in political, judicial, and economic affairs became denotations of the will of the universe instead of means of racial control.
—Jared Yates Sexton, The New Republic, 25 Mar. 2020
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
Through this preaching, white dominance in political, judicial, and economic affairs became denotations of the will of the universe instead of means of racial control.
—Jared Yates Sexton, The New Republic, 25 Mar. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for denotation
Noun
-
But so far, Samsung has stuck with the Project Moohan moniker.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
11 Sep. 2025
-
The private equity firm Blackstone (commonly confused with BlackRock) more or less invented this buy-to-rent strategy in 2012, under the moniker Invitation Homes.—
Alex Mayyasi,
NPR,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
What could have been a transformative meditation on mourning too often slips into surface-level spectacle, leaving the audience to piece together meaning from a scattershot collage of influences.—
David Hochman,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
-
That's because nudity can take on drastically different meanings.—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Regardless of the nomenclature, the whiskey has already earned Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, an accolade that underscores Bardstown’s ability to merge American whiskey character with French refinement.—
Andy Vasoyan,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Some nomenclature gets a little more flowery.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Bryce Young has to be better After building up an immense sense of goodwill, locally and nationally, with his second-half performance from last year, Young essentially melted away in the Jacksonville heat.—
DIAMOND VENCES,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Giving people a greater sense of agency.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Once the game begins, Bowlan waits for his name to be called.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
10 Sep. 2025
-
In recent years, high-profile figures like Elon Musk, Chrissy Teigen and Sharon Osborne have talked about using the substance for therapeutic purposes, contributing to its name recognition.—
Rachel Hale,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Many of these local gems are cozy relics that house unique pieces that evoke a sense of nostalgia, hold a coveted aesthetic or have historical significance.—
Olivia Lee,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Sep. 2025
-
What was the significance of being able to share these memories with him?—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Customers may purchase or rent a selection of media titles from Prime Video without having an Amazon Prime or Prime Video account.—
Amaris Encinas,
USA Today,
13 Sep. 2025
-
And Women's 100-Meter Hurdles Remain Unpredictable Coming off another world indoor title, Olympic champion, and second fastest man of all-time, Grant Holloway is in position to become the first man to win four world outdoor championship titles in a row.—
Katelyn Hutchison,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The content drew attention to the country’s inequality by contrasting the lives of the children of the country’s elite – with designer clothing and foreign vacations – with images of Nepali migrant workers returning home in coffins from dangerous jobs abroad.—
Nir Kshetri,
The Conversation,
14 Sep. 2025
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But, at a time when loneliness among young people is at an all-time high, the popularity of chatbots may leave young people uniquely exposed to manipulation, harmful content, and hyper-personalized conversations that reinforce dangerous thoughts.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
14 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Denotation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/denotation. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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