connotation

[ kon-uh-tey-shuhn ]

noun

1. 1. the associated or secondary meaning of a word or expression in addition to its explicit or primary meaning:

      A possible connotation of “home” is “a place of warmth, comfort, and affection.”

   2. the act of connoting; the suggesting of an additional meaning for a word or expression, apart from its explicit meaning.

   Synonyms: import, implication, undertone

2. something suggested or implied by a word or thing, rather than being explicitly named or described:

   “Religion” has always had a negative connotation for me.

3. Logic. the set of attributes constituting the meaning of a term and thus determining the range of objects to which that term may be applied; comprehension; intension.

connotation

/ ˈkɒnəˌteɪtɪv; ˌkɒnəˈteɪʃən; kəˈnəʊtə- /

noun

1. an association or idea suggested by a word or phrase; implication
2. the act or fact of connoting
3. logic another name for intension

connotation

1. 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.”

Derived Forms

• ˈconnoˌtatively, adverb
• connotative, adjective

Other Word Forms

• con·no·ta·tive [kon, -, uh, -tey-tiv, k, uh, -, noh, -t, uh, -], con·notive adjective
• conno·tative·ly con·notive·ly adverb
• non·conno·tative adjective
• non·conno·tative·ly adverb
• un·conno·tative adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of connotation¹

First recorded 1375–1425, for an earlier sense, 1525–35 for current senses; late Middle English connotacion, from Medieval Latin connotātiōn-, stem of connotātiō “a noting, marking with,” equivalent to connotāt(us) “marked with” (past participle of connotāre “to note in addition to, mark along with”; connote ) + -iō -ion

Example Sentences

Ms Kabloona said she welcomed visitors to the region but disapproved of the "outdated" term "explorer", as it carried with it connotations of imperialist expansion.

From BBC

For example, “saudade,” in Portuguese and Galician is similar to nostalgia, but doesn’t have the same connotations with memory, such that it can be felt with things that have not been experienced before.

From Salon

That created a word that looks and sounds close enough to another word with obscene connotations that one X user commented Monday: “Angels hat flying close to the sun.”

From Los Angeles Times

Many factors can influence whether a person sees uncertainty with a negative connotation.

From Salon

Chocolate, which was once a symbol of power and virility, took on more feminine connotations once women could enjoy it.

From Salon

Related Words

• meaning
• overtone
• significance
• undertone