Connotation

Connotation

A connotation is a commonly understood subjective cultural and/or emotional association that some word or phrase carries, in addition to the word's or phrase's explicit or literal meaning, which is its denotation.

A connotation is frequently described as either positive or negative, with regards to its pleasing or displeasing emotional connection. For example, a stubborn person may be described as being either strong-willed or pig-headed; although these have the same literal meaning (stubborn), strong-willed connotes admiration for the level of someone's will (a positive connotation), while pig-headed connotes frustration in dealing with someone (a negative connotation).

Contents

Usage

Within today's society, connotation branches into a mixture of different meanings. These could include the contrast of a word or phrase with its primary, literal meaning (known as a denotation), with what that word or phrase specifically denotes. The connotation essentially relates to how anything may be associated with a word or phrase, for example, an implied value judgment or feelings.

It is often useful to avoid words with strong connotations (especially disparaging ones) when striving to achieve a neutral point of view. A desire for more positive connotations, or fewer negative ones, is one of the main reasons for using euphemisms.[1]

Logic

In logic and semantics, connotation is roughly synonymous with intension. Connotation is often contrasted with denotation, which is more or less synonymous with extension. Alternatively, the connotation of the word may be thought of as the set of all its possible referents (as opposed to merely the actual ones). A word's denotation is the collection of things it refers to; its connotation is what it implies about the things it is used to refer to. The denotation of dog is (something like) four-legged canine carnivore. So saying, "You are a dog" would imply that you were ugly or aggressive rather than stating that you were canine.

See also

References

  1. ^ Note that not all theories of linguistic meaning honor the distinction between literal meaning and (this kind of) connotation. See literal and figurative language.

External links


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  • CONNOTATION — CONNOTATI Si c’est en 1933 seulement que Bloomfield introduisit le terme de connotation parmi les concepts de la linguistique scientifique, l’idée même que véhicule ce mot (emprunté à la logique et à la philosophie, non sans modification de sens) …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Connotation — Con no*ta tion (k[o^]n n[ o]*t[=a] sh[u^]n), n. [Cf. F. connotation.] The act of connoting; a making known or designating something additional; implication of something more than is asserted. [1913 Webster] 2. a meaning implied but not explicitly …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Connotation — (v. lat.), Mitbezeichnung, Mitanzeige; daher Connotationstermin, Termin zur Anzeige sämmtlicher Forderungen …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Connotation — Connotation, lat., Mitbezeichnung, Mitanzeige; Connotationstermin, Termin zur Anzeige sämmtlicher Forderungen …   Herders Conversations-Lexikon

  • connotation — connotation/denotation …   Philosophy dictionary

  • connotation — I noun allusion, application, bearing, broad meaning, coloring, comprehension, construction, context, denotation, derivation, drift, essence, essential meaning, expression, force, general meaning, gist, hint, idea, impact, implication, import,… …   Law dictionary

  • connotation — 1530s, from M.L. connotationem (nom. connotatio), from connotat , pp. stem of connotare signify in addition to the main meaning, a term in logic, lit. to mark along with, from L. com together (see COM (Cf. com )) + notare to mark (see NOTE (Cf …   Etymology dictionary

  • connotation — denotation (see under DENOTE) Analogous words: suggestion, implication, intimation (see corresponding verbs at SUGGEST): evoking or evocation (see corresponding verb at EDUCE): import, signification, *meaning, significance, sense …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • connotation — [n] implication association, coloring, essence, hint, meaning, nuance, overtone, significance, suggestion, undertone; concepts 682,689 Ant. denotation …   New thesaurus

  • connotation — ► NOUN ▪ an idea or feeling invoked by a word in addition to its primary or literal meaning …   English terms dictionary

  • connotation — [kän΄ə tā′shən] n. [ME connotacion < ML connotatio] 1. the act or process of connoting 2. something connoted; idea or notion suggested by or associated with a word, phrase, etc. in addition to its explicit meaning, or denotation [“politician”… …   English World dictionary

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