What is the connotative and denotative meaning of spinster?

Answer 1

The word "spinster" refers to a woman of marriageable age who is not married - this is its denotative meaning.

Once upon a time it did not have any particular connotation, either positive or negative. With time, however, it has taken on a more negative meaning, which linguists call connotation, referring to a woman who is considered to be past her prime, and so presumably no longer attractive to the opposite sex; someone who, by choice, or because of her appearance, character or personal circumstances, has failed to attract a suitable husband. Thus, it is no longer acceptable to refer to a woman as a "spinster", because its connotative meaning is sexist and offensive to women.

I hope this helps you to understand the difference between what the word "spinster" means and why it is no longer in common use. Nowadays we prefer words like "single" and "bachelorette", to refer to women who are not married.

Curiously, the word's original denotative meaning meant "a person whose job is to spin raw materials into thread." Before spinning was done by machine, it had to be done by people on spinning wheels, and these people were usually women. This was a respectable job that could be done by an unmarried woman of marriageable age, and so was often listed as their occupation, so often that its connotation, that it was the kind of job unmarried women did, became its denotative meaning.

Answer 2

Spinster, referring to an unmarried woman, is a whole lot more negative-sounding than bachelor, unmarried male. A bachelor connotes an idea of a fun, handsome, available male with the power to choose his mate. A spinster sounds like a woman who has been unchosen, left to the side.

It really reflects the way society portrays these two populations, especially in 19th century literature.