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Dictionary:

denotation

  ('nō-tā'shən) pronunciation
n.
  1. The act of denoting; indication.
  2. Something, such as a sign or symbol, that denotes.
  3. Something signified or referred to; a particular meaning of a symbol.
  4. The most specific or direct meaning of a word, in contrast to its figurative or associated meanings.

 
 
Thesaurus: denotation

noun

    That which is signified by a word or expression: acceptation, connotation, import, intent, meaning, message, purport, sense, significance, significancy, signification, value. See meaning.

 

That which is denoted, or referred to by a term. See connotation/denotation.

 
Grammar Dictionary: denotation
(dee-noh-tay-shuhn)

The basic dictionary meaning of a word, without its connotations. For example, the denotation of the word modern is “belonging to recent times,” although the word may have different connotations.

 
Literary Glossary: Denotation

The definition of a word, apart from the impressions or feelings it creates in the reader. The word "apartheid" denotes a political and economic policy of segregation by race, but its connotations—oppression, slavery, inequality—are numerous.

 
Poetry Glossary: Denotation

The literal dictionary meaning(s) of a word as distinct from an associated idea or connotation.

 
Wikipedia: denotation

This word has distinct meanings in other fields: see denotation (semiotics) and connotation and denotation. For the opposite of Denotation see Connotation.

  • In media-studies terminology, denotation is the first level of analysis: what the audience can visually see on a page. Denotation often refers to something literal, and avoids being a metaphor. Here it is usually coupled with connotation which is the second level of analysis, being what the denotation represents

In logic and semantics, denotational always attracts the extension meaning "in the pair", but the other element genuinely varies. See intension for some more discussion.

A denotation is the strict, literal, dictionary definition of a word, devoid of any emotion, attitude, or colour.

Denotation often links with symbolism, as the denotation of a particular media text often represents something further; a hidden meaning (or an Engima Code) is often encoded into a media text (such as the images below).

In order to understand fully the difference between denotation and connotation in the media studies and semiotics uses it is necessary to become familiar with some examples:

Examples

Example one.

The denotation of this example is a red rose with a green stem. The connotation is that it is a symbol of passion and love - this is what the rose represents.

Example two.

The denotation is a brown cross. The connotation is a symbol of religion, according to the media connotation. However, to be more specific this is a symbol of Christianity.

Example seven .

The denotation is a representation of a cartoon heart. The connotation is a symbol of love and affection, not in the way of a rose, but a symbol of true love.


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Copyrights:

Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Thesaurus. Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary Copyright © 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Philosophy Dictionary. The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy. Copyright © 1994, 1996, 2005 by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.  Read more
Grammar Dictionary. The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Edited by E.D. Hirsch, Jr., Joseph F. Kett, and James Trefil. Copyright © 2002 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.  Read more
Answers Corporation Literary Glossary. © 2006 through a partnership of Answers Corporation. All rights reserved.  Read more
Poetry Glossary. Copyright © 2007, ILOVEPOETRY, Inc, All Rights Reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Denotation" Read more

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