connotation

(kŏn'ə-tā'shən)
n.

1. The act or process of connoting.
2. 1. An idea or meaning suggested by or associated with a word or thing: Hollywood holds connotations of romance and glittering success.
   2. The set of associations implied by a word in addition to its literal meaning.
3. Logic. The set of attributes constituting the meaning of a term; intension.

connotative con'no·ta'tive adj.
connotatively con'no·ta'tive·ly adv.

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noun

1. Something, such as a feeling, thought, or idea, associated in one's mind or imagination with a specific person or thing: association, connection, suggestion. See suggest.
2. That which is signified by a word or expression: acceptation, denotation, import, intent, meaning, message, purport, sense, significance, significancy, signification, value. See meaning.

n

Definition: implication
Antonyms: basic meaning, denotation, literal meaning

connotation, the range of further associations that a word or phrase suggests in addition to its straightforward dictionary meaning (the primary sense known as its denotation); or one of these secondary meanings. A word's connotations can usually be formulated as a series of qualities, contexts, and emotional responses commonly associated with its referent (that to which it refers). Which of these will be activated by the word will depend on the context in which it is used, and to some degree on the reader or hearer. Metaphors are made possible by the fact that the two terms they identify both have overlapping connotations. For example, the word worm denotes a small, slender invertebrate; but its connotation of slow burrowing activity also allows an ingratiating person to be described metaphorically as ‘worming his way into favour’, while other connotations based on emotional response (sliminess, insignificance) permit a person to be described simply as ‘a worm’.

Adjective: connotative.

Verb: connote.

The meaning that a word suggests or implies. A connotation includes the emotions or associations that surround a word. For example, the word modern strictly means “belonging to recent times,” but the word's connotations can include such notions as “new, up to date, experimental.”

The suggestion of a meaning by a word beyond what it explicitly denotes or describes. The word, home, for example, means the place where one lives, but by connotation, also suggests security, family, love and comfort.

For a list of words related to connotation, see:

• Notions, Ideas, and Methods - connotation: implication of a term, as distinguished from its denotation
• Linguistics and Writing Systems - connotation: associated or secondary meaning of word in addition to its explicit or primary meaning
• Rhetoric and Figures of Speech - connotation: shades and variety of meanings attached to word or phrase in addition to specific denotation; implication

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  See crossword solutions for the clue Connotate.

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Common misspelling(s) of connotation

• cannotation

Dansk (Danish)
n. - konnotation, overtone, det at konnotere, bibetydning

Nederlands (Dutch)
connotatie, gevoelswaarde (van woord)

Français (French)
n. - connotation

Deutsch (German)
n. - Assoziation, (Neben)bedeutung

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (υποκρυπτόμενη) έννοια ή σημασία, υπονοούμενο, συνεκδοχή

Italiano (Italian)
connotazione

Português (Portuguese)
n. - conotação (f), implicação (f)

Русский (Russian)
коннотация

Español (Spanish)
n. - connotación

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - bibetydelse, konnotation

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
含蓄, 内涵, 储蓄的东西

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 含蓄, 內涵, 儲蓄的東西

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 언외의 의미, 내포

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 言外の意味, 含意

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) معنى آخر لكلمه, معنى ضمني‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮קונוטציה, משמעות לוואי‬

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