denotative

American  

[dee-noh-tey-tiv, dih-noh-tuh-tiv] / ˈdi noʊˌteɪ tɪv, dɪˈnoʊ tə tɪv /

adjective

1. having power to denote.

2. denoting or tending to denote.

   the denotative meaning of a word.

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Other Word Forms

• denotatively adverb
• denotativeness noun
• nondenotative adjective
• nondenotatively adverb
• undenotative adjective
• undenotatively adverb

Etymology

Origin of denotative

1605–15; < Latin dēnotātus (past participle of dēnotāre to mark out, denote ( def. ) ) + -ive

Example Sentences

The denotative meanings of these abbreviations vary over a wide range.

From The Guardian • Jun. 6, 2013

The only way in which the term reality can ever become more than a blanket denotative term is through recourse to specific events in all their diversity and thatness.

From Creative Intelligence Essays in the Pragmatic Attitude by Bode, Boyd H.

Besides their use in illustrating the denotative force of propositions, these circles may be employed to verify the results of Obversion, Conversion, and the secondary modes of Immediate Inference.

From Logic Deductive and Inductive by Read, Carveth

A term's denotative function is, to be the name or sign of something or some multitude of things, which are said to be called or denoted by the term.

From Logic Deductive and Inductive by Read, Carveth

From this eternal word, which is of the nature of the sphota and possesses denotative power, there is produced the object denoted, i.e. this world which consists of actions, agents, and results of action.

From The Vedanta-Sutras with the Commentary by Sankaracarya Sacred Books of the East, Volume 1 by Thibaut, George