Connotation and Denotation

Connotation and Denotation Connotation and Denotation are two principal

methods of describing the meanings of words. Connotation refers to the wide
array of positive and negative associations that most words naturally carry with
them, whereas denotation is the precise, literal definition of a word that might be
found in a dictionary.
Cars of the 1960s
Thunderbird, Falcon, Charger, Comet, Mustang, Barracuda.
Cars of the 1970s
Rabbit, Pinto, Colt, Civic, Starlet, Gremlin.
Introduce the idea of connotation, defining it as the associations that people
make with a word. You can contrast connotation with the denotative value of a
word, its more literal meaning, and give an example of a word (such as
"chicken")
Connotation is the emotional and imaginative association surrounding a word.
Denotation is the strict dictionary meaning of a word.
Visiting Seema Srivastavas Argumentative Writing class recently, I witnessed a
very useful exercise for teaching students the difference between connotation
and denotation. Under the rubric of teaching students about Pathos, or appeal to
emotion, in the Aristotelian Pathos/Ethos/Logos triangle, she briefly described
denotation as the literal meaning and connotation as the emotional weight of a
word, comparing cheap to inexpensive as an example. She noted that nonnative speakers often have difficulty with connotation, while native speakers may
use the words appropriately though unconsciously. She then presented students
the following groups of words and asked them to rank the words in order from
positive to negative.
Group 1
Thin, slim, lanky, skinny, gaunt, slender
Group 2
Aggressive, assertive, domineering, dynamic, pushy, forceful
Group 3
Shrewd, egghead, bright, clever, brilliant, cunning, smart, intelligent, brainy
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Connotation and Denotation

Connotation and denotation are not two separate things/signs. They are two
aspects/ elements of a sign, and the connotative meanings of a word exist
together with the denotative meanings]. Connotation represents the various
social overtones, cultural implications, or emotional meanings associated with a
sign. Denotation represents the explicit or referential meaning of a sign.
Denotation refers to the literal meaning of a word, the dictionary definition. For
example, the name Hollywood connotes such things as glitz, glamour, tinsel,
celebrity, and dreams of stardom. In the same time, the name Hollywood
denotes an area of Los Angeles, worldwide known as the center of the American
movie industry.
Diction, an element of style, refers to the words writers use to express ideas.
Words convey more than exact, literal meanings, in which case they "connote" or
suggest additional meanings and values not expressed in general dictionary
definitions. Words that "denote" a core meaning are those that are generally
used and understood by the users and the audience to represent an object or
class of objects, an act, a quality, or an idea. However, because of usage over
time, words that denote approximately the same thing may acquire additional
meanings, or connotations, that are either positive (meliorative ) or negative
(pejorative ). Consider the changes undergone by these words in the 20th
century: liberal, diversity, team player, right wing, follower, gay, minority,
feminist, left wing, abuse, conservative, motherhood, extremist, rights,
relationship, harassment, family, propaganda, peacekeeper, and comrade.
drug addict . . . druggie, drug fiend, substance abuser handicapped . . . crippled,
disabled, differently abled horse . . . . . . steed, nag, plug house . . . . . . home,
abode, domicile, residence thin . . . . . . thin, slender, slim, skinny, lean,
beanpole attractive . . . pretty, beautiful, handsome, fair reporter . . . .
journalist, broadcaster, newshound unattractive . . plain, dull, ugly
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Connotation and Denotation
The media were swarming around the pileup on the innerbelt to capture every
conceivable injury for the evening news. The journalists were on the scene at
the innerbelt crash to document the incident for the evening news.
Photographers stood patiently along the walkway, awaiting the arrival of the
Oscar nominees. The paparazzi lined the walkway anxiously poised to snap the
Oscar nominees. America's Midwest is often referred to as the heartland by
Washington congressmen. America's Midwest is often referred to as flyover
country by DC politicos.
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Words have both denotations (literal meanings) and connotations (suggestive
meanings). Fungus is a scientific term denoting a certain kind of natural growth,
but the word also has certain connotations of disease and ugliness.

Connotations can be both positive and negative; for example, lady carries a hint
of both elegance and subservience. The influence of connotative meaning can
also change the denotative meaning, one example being the thoroughly
transformed word gay.
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Denotation refers to the literal meaning of a word, the "dictionary definition."
For example, if you look up the word snake in a dictionary, you will discover that
one of its denotative meanings is "any of numerous scaly, legless, sometimes
venomous reptiles having a long, tapering, cylindrical body and found in most
tropical and temperate regions." Connotation, on the other hand, refers to the
associations that are connected to a certain word or the emotional suggestions
related to that word. The connotative meanings of a word exist together with the
denotative meanings. The connotations for the word snake could include evil or
danger.
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Connotation and Denotation
Denotation is when you mean what you say, literally. Connotation is created
when you mean something else, something that might be initially hidden. The
connotative meaning of a word is based on implication, or shared emotional
association with a word. Greasy is a completely innocent word: Some things, like
car engines, need to be greasy. But greasy contains negative associations for
most people, whether they are talking about food or about people. Often there
are many words that denote approximately the same thing, but their
connotations are very different. Innocent and genuine both denote an absence of
corruption, but the connotations of the two words are different: innocent is often
associated with a lack of experience, whereas genuine is not. Connotations are
important in poetry because poets use them to further develop or complicate a
poem's meaning.
You may live in a house, but we live in a home. If you were to look up the words
house and home in a dictionary, you would find that both words have
approximately the same meaning- "a dwelling place." However, the speaker in
the sentence above suggests that home has an additional meaning. Aside from
the strict dictionary definition, or denotation, many people associate such things
as comfort, love, security, or privacy with a home but do not necessarily make
the same associations with a house. What is the first thing that comes to your
mind when you think of a home? of a house? Why do you think that real-estate
advertisers use the word home more frequently than house? The various
feelings, images, and memories that surround a word make up its connotation.
Although both house and home have the same denotation, or dictionary
meaning, home also has many connotations.
Read the following sentences. Type in all your answers (ten) for this page on the
answer sheet, and then send it in to Mrs. Dowling!

o Annette was surprised. o Annette was amazed. o Annette was astonished.

1. What is the general meaning of each of the three sentences about Annette?
Do the words surprised, amazed, and astonished have approximately the same
denotation? 2. What additional meanings are suggested by astonish? Would one
be more likely to be surprised or astonished at seeing a ghost? 3. Which word in
each pair below has the more favorable connotation to you? o thrifty-pennypinching o pushy-aggressive o politician-statesman o chef-cook o slenderskinny