English
connotation
Etymology

Borrowed from Medieval Latin connotātiō, from connotō, from Latin con- + noto; equivalent to connote + -ation.

Pronunciation
  • (America) IPA: /ˌkɑnəˈteɪʃən/
  • (RP) IPA: /ˌkɒnəˈteɪʃən/
Noun

connotation (plural connotations)

  1. (semantics) A meaning of a word or phrase that is suggested or implied, as opposed to a denotation, or literal meaning. A characteristic of words or phrases, or of the contexts that words and phrases are used in.
    The word "advisedly" has a connotation of "wisely", although it denotes merely "intentionally" and "deliberately."
    The word "happy" has a positive connotation, while "sad" has a negative connotation.
  2. (logic) The attribute or aggregate of attributes connoted by a term, contrasted with denotation.
    The two expressions "the morning star" and "the evening star" have different connotations but the same denotation (i.e. the planet Venus).
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