Denotation vs. Connotation A quick look at the literal and figurative meaning of words.

Denotation is the literal meaning of a word, the dictionary meaning, a direct specific meaning as distinct from an implied or associated idea.

Example of denotation: The word rest means the refreshing quiet or repose of sleep: a good night's rest.

Connotation is the implied meaning of a word, or the suggesting of a meaning by a word apart from the thing it explicitly names.

Example of connotation: “Good night, sweet prince, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest (burial).”

2 nd Example of denotation: The word chill means cold. The denotation of the word chill is cold.

2 nd Example of connotation: The expression “let’s chill” is an example of the connotation of the word chill, which means something other than cold, as in spending time.

More on denotation and connotation…

The distinction between connotation and denotation is commonly associated with the philosopher John Stuart Mill, though it is much older.

It is intended to reflect the different ways in which a common name may be significant.

The connotation of the name is the attribute or attributes implied by the name.

The denotation of the name is any object to which the name applies.

For example, the word "city" connotes the attributes of largeness, populousness.

It denotes individual objects such as London, New York, Paris.

It should not to be confused (though it often is) with the distinction between sense and reference, though it has some affinity with his distinction between concept and object.

Contemporary philosophers employ the terms intension and extension for connotation and denotation respectively.

Mill's definition of the term "connotation" is altogether different from that used by scholastic logicians.

In scholastic logic, a "connotative" term was originally what would now be called an adjective, "signifying an attribute as qualifying a subject."

For example, "brave", as used to say or imply of some particular person that they are brave.

By contrast, the abstract noun "bravery" was thought to signify something independent of the subject, an "independent entity", thus is non-connotative.

The distinction is connected with the metaphysical one between substance and attribute.

Linguistics There is a related distinction in linguistics between the objective meaning or denotation of a word such as "vulgar," and the positive or negative association or connotation we attach to such a word.

"Vulgar" derives from the Latin word for "common" and literally means ubiquitous, found everywhere, and was its original meaning.

The word has now acquired the negative connotation of "gross" or "crudely obscene" (also of showy ostentatiousness).

The process of acquiring a negative connotation is known as pejoration.

Connotations often give insight into the associations of the real usage of a word.

When we seek to understand the connotative meaning of words we dig deeper into the original meaning (denotative) of words and phrases.

Let us look at a student example…

“These jeans are tight.” Meaning that the jeans fit snuggly, is an example of the denotative meaning of the word tight.

“That skateboard is tight.” Same word, tight, different meaning. Here the connotative meaning of the word tight is “cool.”

Let us look at another student example…

“The sky is blue.” Here the word blue is used to reflect the denotative meaning of the word or its color.

“My cousin is blue and on anti-depressants.” Same word, blue, different meaning. Here the connotative meaning of the word blue is “depressed.”

Now let us look at some sample questions about denotation vs. connotation…

Sample 1: Just take a look at some of the famous tattoo canvases.

Sample 1: Which of the following best expresses the denotation of the underlined word canvases?>>

Sample 1: A. walking works of art B. victims of a fashion craze C. objects to be used for advertising D. cloth surfaces for painting

Let us look at another sample…

Sample 2: … and Whoopi Goldberg sports Woodstock from Peanuts on her skin.

Sample 2: The author probably uses the word sports instead of the word wears because sports has…>>

Sample 2: A. a more positive connotation B. a neutral connotation C. a different denotation D. a more negative connotation

Thanks to LAUSD’s Board of Education and the 2005 Periodic Assessment for Expository Essays