connotation

noun

con·​no·​ta·​tion ˌkä-nə-ˈtā-shən 

1

a

: something suggested by a word or thing : implication

the connotations of comfort that surrounded that old chair

b

: the suggesting of a meaning by a word apart from the thing it explicitly names or describes

2

: the signification of something

… that abuse of logic which consists in moving counters about as if they were known entities with a fixed connotation.

—William Ralph Inge

3

: an essential property or group of properties of a thing named by a term in logic compare denotation

connotational

ˌkä-nə-ˈtā-shnəl 

-shə-nᵊl

adjective

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What’s the difference between connotation and denotation ?

Connotation and denotation are easily confused, and the fact that neither word is particularly common in everyday use makes it difficult for many people to get a firm grip on the difference between them. While each of these two words has several possible meanings, they are notably distinct from each other in all senses. Denotation is concerned with explicit meaning, and connotation tends to be concerned with implicit meaning. The word home, for instance, has a denotation of “the place (such as a house or apartment) where a person lives,” but it may additionally have many connotations (such as “warmth,” “security,” or “childhood”) for some people.

Example Sentences

Miuccia Prada, a connoisseur of vintage jewelry, has a collection of tiaras and subverts their formal connotations by wearing them for the day. —Hamish Bowles, Vogue, March 1997

Suddenly, Hsun-ching brightened. "So this is propaganda?" Alison did not know that, in Chinese, the word for propaganda literally means to spread information, and does not carry any negative connotations. —Mark Salzman, The Laughing Sutra, 1991

The word "evolution," with its connotation of unrolling, of progressive development, was not favored by Darwin; he preferred the bleak phrase "descent with modification" for his theory. —John Updike, New Yorker, 30 Dec. 1985

a word with negative connotations

For many people, the word “fat” has negative connotations.

The word “childlike” has connotations of innocence.

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Recent Examples on the Web

The rapper had also been candid about his affiliation with Brooklyn gangs, but rejected the negative connotations, such as violence and criminal activity. —Jonah Valdez, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2023

Is that just because of the scope of it, or the connotations that people have with a typical Las Vegas experience? —Chris Willman, Variety, 24 Apr. 2023

In addition to its unsavory connotation, the label appears to have been inconsistently applied. —Paul Farhi, Washington Post, 9 Apr. 2023

At the very highest levels of the game, powerful people use language with similar connotations. —Zak Garner-purkis, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2023

The bro label has historically been associated with negative connotations of toxic masculinity and exclusivity, Dr. Baker said. —Nell Gallogly, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2023

The turn of phrase is catchy, but its connotations of coordinated conspiracy tend to obscure the book’s account of the quotidian workings of power. —Brian Hochman, Washington Post, 16 Feb. 2023

Knowing its devastating connotation to the first episode, many Last of Us fans replied to the Instagram post in absolute shambles. —Jacqueline Saguin, Good Housekeeping, 22 Jan. 2023

There are always negative connotations to everything. —Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 19 Apr. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

see connote

First Known Use

1532, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Kids Definition

connotation

noun

con·​no·​ta·​tion ˌkän-ə-ˈtā-shən 

: a meaning suggested by a word or an expression in addition to its exact meaning