Connotation Definition
Connotation refers to a meaning that is implied by a word apart from the thing which it describes explicitly. Words carry cultural and emotional associations or meanings, in addition to their literal meanings or denotations.
For instance, “Wall Street” literally means a street situated in Lower Manhattan, but connotatively it refers to wealth and power.
Positive and Negative Connotations
Words may have positive or negative connotations that depend upon the social, cultural, and personal experiences of individuals. For example, the words childish, childlike and youthful have the same denotative, but different connotative, meanings. Childish and childlike have a negative connotation, as they refer to the immature behavior of a person. Whereas, youthful implies that a person is lively and energetic.
Common Connotation Examples
Below are a few connotation examples. Their suggested meanings are shaped by cultural and emotional associations:
- “He’s such a dog.” – In this sense, the word dog connotes shamelessness or ugliness.
- “That woman is a dove at heart.” – Here, the dove implies peace or gentility.
- “There’s no place like home.” – While home may refer to the actual building someone lives in, connotatively, it most often refers to family, comfort, and security.
- “What do you expect from a politician?” – Politician has a negative connotation of wickedness and insincerity. To imply sincerity, the word statesperson might be used.
- “That woman is so pushy!” – Pushy refers to someone who is loud-mouthed, insisting, and irritating.
- “My mom and dad worked hard to put me through college.” – The words Mom and Dad, when used in place of mother and father, connote loving parents, rather than simply biological parents.
Difference Between Connotation and Denotation
In simple terms, a denotation means only a single meaning of a word used in some context. It is also called direct or explicit meanings. However, a connotation means a word has various meanings when it is used in a context. It evokes various feelings which are, sometimes, not associated with it. It is also that sometimes a word used only in one sense is used in some other sense at some other place, or in some other context. We can also say that denotation means literal meanings and connotation means emotional nuances. To put it concisely, a denotation means meanings given in the dictionary and connotation means the meanings having emotional and imaginative undercurrents or undertones.
Use of Connotation in Sentences
- Although he has seen swarms of bees, the swarming of news on the screen is another phenomenon for him.
- John is skinny while his wife, Jane is slender. Both are, however, of similar physical features.
- Sometimes you think and thoughts pour down and sometimes you pour water on your head and your mind refuses to think.
- Now going to the city is an easy task than going to dogs.
- Hannah is such a dove in her heart but you do not cross her while she’s reading.
Examples of Connotation in Literature
In literature, it is a common practice among writers to deviate from the literal meanings of words in order to create novel ideas. Figures of speech frequently employed by writers are examples of such deviations.
Example #1: Sonnet 18 (By William Shakespeare)
Metaphors are words that connote meanings that go beyond their literal meanings. Shakespeare, in his Sonnet 18, says:
“Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day…”
Here, the phrase “a Summer’s Day” implies the fairness of his beloved.
Example #2: The Sun Rising (By John Donne)
Similarly, John Donne says in his poem The Sun Rising says:
“She is all states, and all princes, I.”
This line suggests the speaker’s belief that he and his beloved are wealthier than all the states, kingdoms, and rulers in the whole world because of their love.
Example #3: The Merchant of Venice (By William Shakespeare)
Irony and satire exhibit connotative meanings, as the intended meanings of words are opposite to their literal meanings. For example, we see a sarcastic remark made by Antonio to Shylock, the Jew, in William Shakespeare’s play The Merchant of Venice:
“Hie thee, gentle Jew.
The Hebrew will turn Christian: he grows kind.”
The word “Jew” generally had a negative connotation of wickedness, while “Christian” demonstrated positive connotations of kindness.
Example #4: The Animal Farm (By George Orwell)
George Orwell’s allegorical novel Animal Farm is packed with examples of connotation. The actions of the animals on the farm illustrate the greed and corruption that arose after the Communist Revolution of Russia. The pigs in the novel connote wicked and powerful people who can change the ideology of a society. In addition, Mr. Jones (the owner of the farm), represents the overthrown Tsar Nicholas II; and Boxer, the horse, represents the laborer class.
Example #5: Julius Caesar (By William Shakespeare)
Metonymy is another figure of speech that makes use of connotative or suggested meanings, as it describes a thing by mentioning something else with which it is closely connected. For example, Mark Anthony, in Act III of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, says:
“Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears.”
Here, the word “ear” connotes the idea of people listening to him attentively.
Example #6: Out, Out (By Robert Frost)
Read the following lines from Robert Frost’s poem Out, Out:
“As he swung toward them holding up the hand
Half in appeal, but half as if to keep
The life from spilling”
In the line “The life from spilling,” the word “life” connotes “blood.” It does make sense as well because the loss of blood may cause loss of life.
Example #7: As you Like It (By William Shakespeare)
Connotation provides the basis for symbolic meanings of words because symbolic meanings of objects are different from their literal sense. Look at the following lines from Shakespeare’s play As you Like It:
“All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts …”
Here, a stage connotes the world; players suggest human beings, and parts imply different stages of their lives.
Function of Connotation
In literature, connotation paves way for creativity by using figures of speech like metaphor, simile, symbolism, and personification. Had writers contented themselves with only the literal meanings, there would have been no way to compare abstract ideas to concrete concepts, in order to give readers a better understanding. Therefore, connotative meanings of words allow writers to add to the dimensions of their work that are broader, more vivid, and fresher.
Synonyms of Connotation
A connotation has various synonyms. Some are very close in meanings such as overtone or undertone as well as an undercurrent. A few more distant synonyms include implications, nuances, flavor, feeling, aura, coloring, hint, echo, association, and suggestion.
Asked by: Adela Lynch
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Connotation sentence example
- The word can have a different connotation in different contexts. …
- No negative connotation was intended by using the word «short.» …
- Typically, the word «home» has a positive and warm connotation . …
- To avoid the connotation of correctness, I would use the word principles rather than rules.
What is an example of a connotation sentence?
Common Connotation Examples
“He’s such a dog.” – In this sense, the word dog connotes shamelessness, or ugliness. “That woman is a dove at heart.” – Here, the dove implies peace or gentility.
How do you use connotative sentences?
In fact proper names in literature are deeply connotative, though perhaps in an arbitrary way. Carpentier creatively chose chapter titles that had a well established connotative significance and distorted their meaning. A connotative meaning of a television would be that it is top-of-the-line.
How do you write connotations in writing?
Connotations are basically present in every sentence that we hear, write, and speak. Therefore, words are essentially chosen based on their connotation. When writing or speaking, a word’s connotation should help set the tone as positive or negative, and should be selected with its implications in mind.
What is a connotative meaning in a sentence?
Connotation is an idea or feeling that a word evokes. If something has a positive connotation, it will evoke warm feelings. Meanwhile, something with a negative connotation will make someone feel less than pleasant. To call someone “verbose” when you want to say they’re a “great conversationalist” may not convey that.
26 related questions found
What is a connotative meaning?
1a : something suggested by a word or thing : implication the connotations of comfort that surrounded that old chair. b : the suggesting of a meaning by a word apart from the thing it explicitly names or describes. 2 : the signification of something …
How do you use connotation and denotation in a sentence?
Example 1. For example, denotation of the word “blue” is the color blue, but its connotation is “sad”—read the following sentence: The blueberry is very blue. We understand this sentence by its denotative meaning—it describes the literal color of the fruit.
What is connotative in public speaking?
Why is it important in public speaking? Connotation refers to a meaning that is implied by a word apart from the thing which it describes explicitly. Words carry cultural and emotional associations or meanings in addition to their literal meanings or denotations. … Denotation is the strict dictionary meaning of a word.
How do you use negative connotation in a sentence?
A negative connotation is associated with the word, as it implies that a family’s child may disappear and reappear at will. Forest fires gained a negative connotation because of cultural references to uncontrolled fires that take lives and destroy homes and properties.
What is denotation and examples?
Denotation is the literal meaning, or «dictionary definition,» of a word. … The words «house» and «home,» for example, have the same denotation—a building where people live—but the word «home» has a connotation of warmth and family, while the word «house» does not.
What are the example of denotation and connotation?
While denotation is the literal meaning of the word, connotation is a feeling or indirect meaning. For example: Denotation: blue (color blue) Connotation: blue (feeling sad)
What is the difference between connotative and denotative meaning?
DENOTATION: The direct definition of the word that you find in the dictionary. CONNOTATION: The emotional suggestions of a word, that is not literal.
What are word connotations?
Connotation and Denotation are two principal methods of describing the meanings of. words. Connotation refers to the wide array of positive and negative associations that most words naturally carry with them, whereas denotation is the precise, literal definition of a word that might be found in a dictionary.
Is connotate a word?
To connote; to suggest or designate (something) as additional; to include; to imply.
What is the connotation of the word cheap in the sentence?
The connotative meaning of cheap is negative. It connotes being stingy or miserly similar to Ebenezer Scrooge. Choose your Words Wisely!
What is the connotation of cross?
cross, the principal symbol of the Christian religion, recalling the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ and the redeeming benefits of his Passion and death. The cross is thus a sign both of Christ himself and of the faith of Christians.
What is connotative and unique?
Unique means for something or someone to be original, to stand out from the norm, or one of a kind. In this case, unique would have an arguably positive connotation; most people like to stand out, and that’s not a bad thing. … This, in turn, gives the word childlike a more positive connotation than the word childish.
Does negative have a connotation?
Connotation is the term that describes the feelings that are generally associated with a word or phrase. Sometimes you may hear a word and get a bad feeling about it. If a word or phrase has a common, bad feeling, you would say that it has a negative connotation.
What is a negative connotation for old?
The terms “old” and “young” are used with negative connotation. Especially “old.” In class, we talked heavily about how words and saying related to “old” are negative when they shouldn’t be. Such terms are weak, sick, and fail. Same for young.
What are the positive words?
Positive Words Vocabulary List
- absolutely. accepted. acclaimed. accomplish. …
- beaming. beautiful. believe. beneficial. …
- calm. celebrated. certain. champ. …
- dazzling. delight. delightful. distinguished. …
- earnest. easy. ecstatic. effective. …
- fabulous. fair. familiar. famous. …
- generous. genius. genuine. giving. …
- handsome. happy. harmonious. healing.
A connotation is a commonly understood cultural or emotional association that some word or phrase carries, in addition to its explicit or literal meaning, which is its denotation. (Wikipedia) (See all definitions)
When used in a rhetorical manner by opponents of a particular district map, the term has a negative connotation but does not necessarily address the legality of a challenged map.
POLITICS
Unfortunately, these words sometimes have negative connotations as well as multiple meanings.
EDUCATION
While they may have the definition of the word right, however, they can miss the connotation of the word.
JOBS
The black iron crosses configured in one corner lost their sinister connotations through repetition into pattern.
ART
It based its decision on the fact that «marriage has deep-rooted social and cultural connotations which may differ largely from one society to another» (¶ 62) and that differential treatment of the applicants» rights fell within the «margin of appreciation» afforded to member states.
POLITICS
may also refer to the larger of the small presses, but it has the connotation of being the dinosaurs in the industry: big, nasty, and full of teeth.
BOOKS
Paying particular attention to art historical representations of the body, photographs by Matts Leiderstam propose a queer re-reading of the gestures depicted in Renaissance paintings, whereas Lili Dujourie’s abstract, single-take «dances to camera» attempt to divorce particular habits of the body from their entrenched social connotations.
ART
Like the term «blockade runner,» «spy» has a negative connotation.
BOOKS
«Rent-to-own can have a negative connotation to it, especially when you don’t really understand it,» says Scheidl.
REAL_ESTATE
Because Isolationism was the wrong approach for the time, the word apparently picked up negative connotations, and I guess «non-interventionism» replaced it.
RELIGION
And also whether «mathematical physics» used to have a more pejorative connotation.
ENVIRONMENT
Most of the people I know give the word «religion» a negative connotation that most people who do not identify themselves as «religious» understand.
RELIGION
In addition to the modern connotations ranging from «intelligent» to «geeky,» the word smart used to be synonymous with «classy,» «elegant,» and «timeless» — witness the enduring term «smart casual» for sharp-looking business attire.
TECHNOLOGY
But names with Russian connotation were found in other breeds, as well, and since this breeding was not mentioned elsewhere it would seem probable that the nomenclature was influenced by the war.
PETS
Lemaoana says the fabric made infamous at the Zuma trial actually has significant spiritual healing and religious connotations in South Africa and is also animated by the complications of global trade.
ART
Originally coined in the 1930s, its connotations underpin the national ethos that all Americans have the right to be free, prosperous and successful.
ART
It wasn’t until Daumier’s caricatural sculptures in the 19th century that the portrayal of a human being carried connotations beyond the psychological.
ART
The materiality of Francesca DiMattio’s works is also crucial to their meaning, and the cultural connotations of the paints, fabrics, ceramics and found materials she uses influence how we understand them.
ART
The global dimension is well described by the idea of «international education» — the term brought up by the United Nations Educational Social and Cultural Organisation (hereinafter UNESCO)(going in line with abovementioned human rights acts) gathering together different connotations of terms «international understanding», «co-operation» and «peace» as an indivisible whole (12).
EDUCATION
It is a familiar expression nowadays in family law, not least because of the central role it plays, for example, in Art 8 of the European Convention and the wider Strasbourg jurisprudence… It «has a meaning lying somewhere between «indispensable» on the one hand and «useful», «reasonable» or «desirable» on the other hand, having «the connotation of the imperative, what is demanded rather than what is merely optional or reasonable or desirable»»».
LAW
But I suspect the word «indie» has a cool connotation that is a plus overall.
BOOKS
I think that there are plenty of parents who have the same sort of issues about nudity in front of their children, bathing with their children, kissing on the lips, rubbing or stroking backs and feet, playful nibbling of ears or anything else that might carry a sexual connotation to a particular person, however idiosyncratic.
PARENTING
I kind like to call it an abdominal delivery versus a vaginal delivery and in changing the name a little bit it kind changes what negative connotations may have been be attached with it.
PARENTING
I’m not sure if we can ever change that, but we must learn to adapt and realize the negative connotation towards being basic is entirely ass backwards.
FASHION
It has both good and bad connotations, depending on the intent and purpose of breeding.
PETS
In attempts to minimize the negative connotations of the term «visitation,» visiting parents increasingly went back to court to request joint custody — if not physical, at least legal.
RELATIONSHIPS
In the document, Milne argued that communism had frightening connotations for most people in Britain «mainly due to ignorance» and he set out a vision where «factories and farms will be run by committees of workers, elected by workers (as in China where this has proved to work very well)».
POLITICS
In the context of the installation as a whole, the oranges project numerous bodily connotations whether tumors, cancer cells or breasts.
ART
All of this gets at one of the critical points of the piece, which is the contentious historical relationship between white men and black women, one that is loaded with connotations of abuse of power.
ART
Gourmet carries additional connotations of one who simply enjoys food or coffee in great quantities.
FOOD & BEVERAGES
The phrase «make it personal» has a bad connotation.
BUSINESS
However, I agree that «dominance» has developed a very negative connotation among the dog training literature.
PETS
One almost wonders why Disney would even bother considering the film an adaptation of the 32-page book or staying true to it in its middle, but there are benefits to a connotation with Joyce, whose past credits include BlueSky’s Robots, Playhouse Disney’s «Rolie Polie Olie», and early development work on Pixar’s first two films.
MOVIES & TV
Career Advice Company Culture career advice company cultureThe phrase, «going to the dogs» often carries a negative connotation.
JOBS
This new exhibition explores systems and power structures that the art world takes for granted from conservation to re-composition to restoration to recreation, when these acts often transmute or definitively alter the original nature and cultural connotations of the works and objects.»
ART
The expression «épistémologie génétique,» coined by Piaget, has not the same connotation and extent as the English term «epistemology.»
RELIGION
The word Prestige have a connotation of High Quality & / or High standard But when you add the word «base» to call the lower spec «base Prestige» sound like a misnomer here.
AUTOMOBILES
Given the family connotations this car has, the rear isn’t all that spacious in the grand scheme of things.
AUTOMOBILES
Empty spaces and gaps play a central role in her installation works: in her abstract structures she creates the potential for narrative, and her use of everyday materials with their cultural connotations equally plays a part in this.
ART
In this case, renaming the «team» part might be more useful, if you’re looking to change title connotations.
RELIGION
With daily, 15-minute exercises kids can review decimals and using commas and learn new skills like ratios and word connotations.
EDUCATION
Some styles come with certain connotations, but what we wear is really an expression of whatever we want it to be.
FASHION
Both names also have strong meanings or connotations.
PARENTING
While the term cognitive bias has a negative connotation and many negative consequences, cognitive biases do have some heuristic benefits in human lives.
BUSINESS
I’m guilty of this myself, typically global warming or Anthropomorphic Global Warming (AGW) has a negative connotation and puts the cause of change squarely on man and typically makes the supposition that the change is massive and catostrophic.
ENVIRONMENT
I imagine that here the OEM contracts dealt with the second connotation.
LAW
By working in the medium of marquetry, typically associated with wealth and power, to portray dystopian scenes of everyday life, Taylor creates tension between the luxurious connotations of the material and a certain abjectness in subject matter.
ART
Again, these words come with negative connotations.
PARENTING
I don’t think hats have the same connotation here, although they certainly are more prevalent in the rural parts of Wisconsin.
PARENTING
As the term suggests it is an interview but with a different connotation to it.
JOBS
Definition of connotation: Connotation is a further association that a word suggests other than its literal dictionary meaning.
What Does Connotation Mean?
What is connotation? The connotation of a word is an idea or feeling that the word invokes in addition to its literal meaning. Words evoke many meanings to people that extend beyond the technical definitions known as denotations.
Connotations are what we associate with words based on our personal experience with them.
Examples of Connotation:
A good example of connotation in words is the word spider.
- Word = spider
- Denotation = an eight-legged arachnid.
- Connotation = many people are terrified of spiders, so fear is a common connotation when spider is used. Others might simply find them gross.
Animals make for good illustrations of connotation, so let’s look at another.
- Word = snake
- Denotation = long, limbless reptile
- Connotation = Many people associate snakes with liars and tricksters. This may have biblical origins, but it obviously differs from the denotation of the word.
What is the Difference Between Connotation and Denotation?
Connotation and denotation both deal with the meanings associated with words, but they are opposite in their approach.
- Denotations are simple and straightforward; everyone will arrive at the same meaning by using the dictionary.
- Connotations are subjective and will differ from person to person based on their social experience with the words.
Connotation vs. Denotation Example:
- Word = mushroom
- Denotation = the fleshy cap-like, spore-bearing organ of various fungi
- Connotation = pizza, gross, pests, delicacy, psychedelic, Mario Brothers
Notice how the denotation of mushroom is its technical definition that everyone will see when he or she looks the word up in a dictionary. The connotation, however, varies widely on what individual people associate with mushrooms.
The denotation of a word is limited while the connotation has the potential to be endless.
The Function of Connotation
When writing, it is important to be cognizant of a word’s denotation as well as the connotation your audience may have with it. Denotations are essential for meaning and understanding, while connotations are important in setting the mood of a piece of literature.
For example, if the purpose is to establish the mood of the story to be cool and calm, you may want to use words that evoke these feelings such as the colors green and blue.
In literature, connotation is often used to set the mood of the piece.
Here are some examples of this:
In James Hurst’s “The Scarlet Ibis,” connation is used in order to set the mood in the introduction. It is also used to foreshadow the events to come in the story.
- “It was in the clove of seasons, summer was dead but autumn had not yet been born, that the ibis lit in the bleeding tree. The flowering garden was stained with rotting brown magnolia petals and ironweeds grew rank amid the purple phlox.”
This example includes words that are often associated with death such as dead, bleeding, stained, rotting, brown, and rank. By using words with this connotation, Hurts sets the somber mood and foreshadows the death of the young character, Doodle.
Another example of the use of connotation is in William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.
- “But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?/ It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.”
In Romeo’s line, he compares Juliet to light and the sun. Shakespeare does this because light and sun have positive connotations. Many people associate these words with happiness; therefore, we are able to understand how Romeo feels about Juliet and that creates and exciting and romantic mood.
Positive vs. Negative Connotation
Oftentimes, words evoke either a positive or negative connotation, depending on a person’s experience with the word.
When writing, it is important to be aware of the words you are using and how they often translate to the audience. While most people may see one word in a positive light, some people may have a negative association with it, which would affect their connotation.
For example,
- Word = baby
- While most people associate babies with positive connotations, someone who has had fertility issues may have negative connotations with the word.
Summary
Define connotation: The connotation of a word is a feeling or idea that is evoked from associations with the word itself. These feelings may well extend beyond the dictionary definition.
Writers must be aware of a word’s connotation when writing in order to set the mood of their work effectively.
Final example,
From Emily Dickinson’s “ ‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers,”
- “ ‘ Hope’ is the thing with feathers—/ That perches in the soul—/ And sings the tune without words—/ and never stops—at all—“
In this example, Dickinson uses words with positive connotation such as feathers, soul, sings, and tune to establish the positive outlook she has regarding the concept of hope.
Contents
- 1 What Does Connotation Mean?
- 2 What is the Difference Between Connotation and Denotation?
- 3 The Function of Connotation
- 4 Examples of Connotation in Literature
- 5 Positive vs. Negative Connotation
- 6 Summary
1, A good dictionary will give us the connotation of a word as well as its denotation.
2, «Urchin», with its connotation of mischievousness, may not be a particularly apt word.
3, For most people «motherhood» has a very positive connotation.
4, And so it acquired its contemporary, pejorative connotation of idle chatter.
5, With time, however, this acquired the connotation of the misfortune it described.
6, A new connotation was given to the concept of truth to nature.
7, Colleges must have strategic transference to persist connotation development.
8, What are the concept of tripartite mechanism and connotation?
9, This is also lateral economic ties reform real connotation.
10, Based on the analysis of the connotation of human capital value, the paper constructs a model of university’s human capital value. Furthermore[sentencedict.com], it analyses its characteristics and value-added methods.
11, The analyses the connotation of fair and efficiency and their dialectical relation.
12, From the view of connotation, it is reasonable to regard it as the symbol of reproduction worship because of its branchy and leafy characteristics with rich fruits.
13, Fathers has enriched the connotation of the old man of the wilderness due to his ethnical tolerance while Santiago has enlarged its denotation because of going beyond the American border.
14, The article emphasizes that in idiomatic translation, cultural connotation should be given a consideration as well as literal expression.
15, This word has a bad connotation . Be sure to use it only in its right context.
16, The cultural connotation evolving during the course of usage of a lexical item usually pivots on its conceptual meaning enriched as a result of the process of repetitive uses.
17, It is the context which infuses any word with powerful connotation.
18, Opposite this protest message hangs a photograph with a very different connotation.
19, There is often an implication that skilled means highly skilled although this connotation confuses the concept of existence and level.
20, The phrase seems to have originated in the world of baseball,[http://sentencedict.com/connotation.html] although some authorities claim priority for an alternative connotation.
21, Even among economists and political philosophers, public services rarely lose their connotation of burden.
22, In recent years multimedia has taken on a negative connotation in the computer industry.
23, On Hong Kong this year it took on a slightly different connotation.
24, After relating the development of modern reference work and its changing in connotation and function, the paper proposes some developing strategies.
25, In short, in order to make full development, and have a foothold in the world, Chinese water color painting should not only enhance the connotation of its language, but expand its denotative content.
26, There would be magnificent meaning to understand the core connotation of law-governing state, in the view of political civilization.
27, The characteristics of university teaching resources gives its unique temperament, continuous constructiveness and dynamic generative constitute the university teaching resources new connotation.
28, It is most special in its romanesque architecture with its refined internal facilities assimilating versailles palace connotation.
29, Only by dancing attentively, revealing the dynamic beauty, understanding its rich connotation and creating romantic charm with all one’s heart can he truly create and reveal the dancing beauty.
30, This part spreads from the category of capital , the connotation and extension of national capital, combines the theory of twoness of capital, analyses the twoness of national capital.