connotation

noun

con·​no·​ta·​tion ˌkä-nə-ˈtā-shən 

1

a

: something suggested by a word or thing : implication

a word with positive/negative connotations

The word "childlike" carries connotations of innocence.

Traditionally the most expensive color to produce, blue has long held connotations of wealth …

—Oscar Holland

compare denotation sense 2

b

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

the value of connotation in poetry

Connotation shapes the meanings of a news story …

—Jonathan Bignell

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

… as connotation decreases, denotation increases: … 'white' with less connotation than snow or silver, denotes many more things.

—Carveth Read

compare denotation sense 4

connotational

ˌkä-nə-ˈtā-sh(ə-)nəl 

adjective

Did you know?

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.

Examples of connotation in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples on the Web

For people under 30, who may not even remember a time when influencers were not ubiquitous, as well as all manner of marketers and salespeople, the term’s connotations tend to be neutral to positive. —Judy Berman, Time, 30 Oct. 2025

In an interview with Smith on JMM’s website, she was asked about the rock-star connotations of wearing sunglasses. —Miles Socha, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2025

While those connotations may have long since lost their relevance, contemporary designers have been embracing lace more than ever recently, filling collections in New York Bridal Fashion Week with beautiful gowns crafted in the delicate, classic material. —Shelby Wax, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2025

But when pressed to respond to CNN’s initial inquiry about the controversy over the post – and its far-right connotations – McLaughlin did not respond. —Chelsea Bailey, CNN Money, 19 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

see connote

First Known Use

1532, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Rhymes for connotation

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation

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