Denotation and Connotation

Activator: What Does This Mean? Identify your concept of each word: Home: House: Residence: Dwelling:

Activator: What Does This Mean? The words home, house, residence, and dwelling all have the same basic definition, but the meaning of each word is very different.

Activator: What Does This Mean? What is the definition of home, house, residence, and dwelling? ……Where a person lives at any given time.

Singular and plural variations of “friend” provide a great example of this concept. Although there are many synonyms with the same meaning in the dictionary, the connotation of each is very different. Let’s look at a few shades of meaning… Friend (implies love or concern) Ally (think of defense or “having one’s back”) Pal (this is very informal) *maybe a pen pal, etc. Peer (same age group or hobby) Acquaintance (barely know/ “hello” basis) Teammate (implies very little choice in friendship) “Fam” (urban term meaning very close/loyal or one who is almost family. You fight and make up) Squad (specific to a group with a common job or purpose) Partner (implies the need for focused cooperation) “Bestie” (extremely close lifelong or best friend)

Activator: What Does This Mean? Even though these four words have the same DENOTATION (DICTIONARY DEFINITION) they all have different (emotional connections) or CONNOTATIONS.

Activator: What Does This Mean? CONNOTATIONS Home: cozy, loving, comfortable House: the actual building Residence: cold, no feeling Dwelling: primitive or basic surrounding

Denotation Denotation is the strict dictionary meaning of a word. Denotation is very literal/direct. D=Dictionary

C = Colorful or Connection Connotation Connotation is the emotional, cultural, and imaginative meaning or association surrounding a word. This can be positive, negative or neutral! C = Colorful or Connection

Examples If something doesn’t cost a lot, we can call it either CHEAP or INEXPENSIVE. This is the DENOTATION of the words inexpensive and cheap. Which word has a positive connotation? A negative connotation?

This is the DENOTATION of the words gambling and investing. Examples When we put something into something else, we can call it either INVESTING or GAMBLING. This is the DENOTATION of the words gambling and investing. Which word has a positive connotation? A negative connotation?

This is the DENOTATION of the words new and unproven. Examples) When something has never been there before, we can call that either NEW or UNPROVEN. This is the DENOTATION of the words new and unproven. Which word has a positive connotation? A negative connotation?

This is the DENOTATION of the words thrifty and miserly. Examples When someone is very careful with their money, we can call them either STINGY or THRIFTY. This is the DENOTATION of the words thrifty and miserly. Which word has a positive connotation? A negative connotation?

Examples If someone is buying a car, and they can choose a USED or PRE-OWNED vehicle, which has the positive connotation?

Let’s Practice! Remember, a word can have a positive or negative connotation. Using the words on the next slide, match up the positive connotation word with its negative connotation word.

Proper A. Weird Brave B. Outrageous Fascinating C. Smirk Let’s Practice Proper A. Weird Brave B. Outrageous Fascinating C. Smirk Hilarious D. Foolhardy Smile E. Snobby

Which Has the Positive Connotation? Which headline would you be likely to find in the Cub’s hometown paper? a. Cubs Destroy Cards 5-3 b. Cards’ Effort Falls Short; Cubs Win 5-3

Which Has the Negative Connotation? Which newspaper does not favor the development project? a. Mall to Destroy 300 Homes b. Mall to Bring 3,000 Jobs

What Does The Word Chicken Mean In These Titles?

Reflect and Recap Now that you understand that the connotation and denotation of a word can be very different, how will this impact the way that you communicate with others? Please reflect on this and explain your response. ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ THE END! 