Connotation and Denotation

Created by Kathryn Reilly

Connotation vs. Denotation Background

• Connotation and denotation both refer to how people interpret word meanings.

• Connotation derives from the verb connote, which means to suggest meaning.

• Denotation derives from the verb denote, which means to designate meaning.

Connotation• Connotation refers to a word’s secondary meaning as determined

by group or society.

• This secondary meaning may not appear in a dictionary.

• Connotative meanings usually result from emotional associations.

Example:

Home may connotatively refer to a place where a person feels most safe, rather than a structure where one lives.

I feel most at home in Ireland, the land of my ancestors.

Denotation

• Denotation refers to a word’s meaning as defined in a dictionary.

• A denotative meaning is the generally accepted academic meaning of a word.

Example: Home denotatively means a place where a person resides.

In recent months, home prices continued to increase.

Examples• Word: Monkey– Connotative: Stop monkeying around!

• Connotatively, monkey refers to messing around.

– Denotative: Monkeys are my favorite part of the zoo.• Denotatively, monkey refers to a primate.

• Word: Blue– Connotative: I’m feeling very blue today.

• Connotatively, blue refers to feeling sad.

– Denotative: I love the deep blues of the ocean.• Denotatively, blue refers to a primary color.

The Trick

• Here’s a trick to remember the difference between connotation and denotation:

• Denotation is the Dictionary’s meaning.