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

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

Given its racialized connotations, that meant paying particular attention to poverty and underemployment among African Americans. —Ben Zdencanovic, TIME, 4 Nov. 2024

All the more reason that this character, who, even in death, exerts a powerful grip over his followers and allies, should be played by an international star of irrepressible charisma—a quality with religious connotations—so that the very sight of him, however brief, inspires awe. —Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2024

While traditionally demure held a connotation of being somewhat bland or modest, Lebron's page is anything but. —Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 26 Nov. 2024

This potential for positive impact might help overcome the negative connotations often associated with AI in healthcare, particularly to the human interaction side of care and reliability. —Briar Smith, Forbes, 26 Nov. 2024

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