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
-
Officially titled Abbey Road After Hours, the Dewaele brothers headlined the event under their DJ moniker 2ManyDJs, with friends Erol Alkan and Laima Leyton warming up the crowd.—
Ellise Shafer,
Variety,
24 Feb. 2026
-
The result is a lifestyle capsule collection under the moniker Ravenna by Cipriani x Nike, which comprises jerseys, polos, tracksuits and shorts, as well as caps and Nike’s Air Force sneakers.—
Martino Carrera,
Footwear News,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Seemingly, the circumstances surrounding the completion of Help(2) only deepened its meaning as a testament to resilience in the face of adversity and emotional hardship.—
Sophie Williams,
Billboard,
26 Feb. 2026
-
This boom is less about magic and more about meaning.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
Despite its nomenclature, Tesla’s current system called Full Self-Driving (Supervised), or FSD, is not fully autonomous.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Staying here gives you a genuine sense of the city.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Feb. 2026
-
Kamaru’s album, unlike more conventionally soothing strains of ambient music, reflected that thrumming sense of disquiet.—
Philip Sherburne,
Pitchfork,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The Los Angeles artist, whose real name was James Dear, died Sunday at a private residence, according to the the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Its name honors Elba, a former owner known for tending the garden with care and devotion.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
As far as the historical significance of the game, the 16-point home defeat was only surpassed (in the Self era) by a 25-point loss to Texas in 2021, 23-point loss to TCU in 2023 and 18-point loss to Kentucky in 2022.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
21 Feb. 2026
-
What is the significance, or importance, of doing this?—
Lisa Deaderick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
But despite speculation in South Korea about her potential grooming as a successor, no new official titles were announced as the once-in-five-years ruling party congress wrapped.—
Will Ripley,
CNN Money,
26 Feb. 2026
-
In their new lawsuit, Mamás de DPS accuses the district of using a nonprofit called Denver School Facilities Leasing Corporation to obtain titles and mortgages for 33 school buildings.—
Jessica Seaman,
Denver Post,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Its cable networks barely make any original content anymore, beyond Comedy Central’s South Park and the Daily Show.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
27 Feb. 2026
-
The creation of this content included the use of AI based on templates created, reviewed and edited by journalists in the newsroom.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Denotation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/denotation. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
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