DENOTATION AND CONNOTATION

Denotation
I. What is Denotation?
Denotation (pronounced dee-noh-tey-shuh n) is a word’ or thing’s literal or main definition.
The term comes from the late Latin Latin denotationem meaning “indication,” and is contrasted
with connotation. A word’s denotation is completely absent of emotion, so it is defined as
distinguished from its connotation (its associated meaning). In other words, denotation is a
word’s “dictionary definition” rather than its associated emotion or definition.

II. Examples of Denotation

As mentioned above, a word’s denotation is understood as in contrast with its connotation.
Example 1
For example, denotation of the word “blue” is the color blue, but its connotation is “sad”—read
the following sentence:
The blueberry is very blue.
We understand this sentence by its denotative meaning—it describes the literal color of the
fruit. In contrast, read the next sentence:
Susie is very blue.
If we understand this second sentence by its denotative meaning, it would mean that Susie is
literally the color blue. However, we understand this sentence by its connotative meaning,
which is that Susie is sad.
Example 2
In another example, imagine a drawing with two trees—in one tree is a cat, and at the bottom
of the other tree is a dog barking. The caption reads: You are barking up the wrong tree, Buddy!
Here, the joke lies in the phrase’s denotative meaning—the dog is literally barking up the
wrong tree, because the cat is in the other tree. However, without the picture, we would
understand this phrase by its connotative meaning, which is to mistakenly pursue the wrong
thing.

III. Importance of Denotation

A word or phrase’s denotation is what we would find in the dictionary, so it is important for
one main reason—it provides clear, literal definition. However, in literature and in everyday
language, a word’s denotation is often less central than its universal connotation, which allows
writers to be more creative and expressive with their thoughts. If we only wrote using
denotative meaning, all writing would be dull, colorless, and very straightforward.

Conclusion
In conclusion, denotation is valuable when you want to be clear and straightforward with the
meaning of your words. It is the best way to choose your words when you want to be objective
and informative, without creating other feelings or alternate meanings.
Connotation
I. What is Connotation?
A connotation is a feeling or idea that a word has, in addition to its literal or main meaning (the
denotation). Often, a series of words can have the same basic definitions, but completely
different connotations—these are the emotions or meanings implied by a word, phrase, or
thing.
For example, “This clothing is affordable!” versus “This clothing is cheap!” Here, “affordable”
sounds much better than “cheap,” because the word cheap also implies low quality.

II. Examples of Connotation

Connotation is an additional meaning for a word or phrase; thus, the examples are endless. As
mentioned, many words will share the same literal meaning, but may connote different feelings
or ideas. Below are several examples:
 Stench, smell, aroma, scent, odor
 Strong, tough, sturdy, hard
 Proud, confident, arrogant, egotistical
 Childish, childlike, young, youthful
 Rich, loaded, privileged, wealthy, affluent
 Broke, poor, impoverished
 Frugal, economical, stingy, cheap
 Tempting, attractive, interesting
 Liar, storyteller, fibber
 Independent, unfriendly, private, standoffish
Think of these words used in the similar conversations. For example, imagine the difference
between describing someone as a “strong woman” or a “sturdy woman”: because of these
words’ connotations, the first implies that she is strong emotionally, while the second implies
that she is a sturdy physically. Now, apply these two terms to a table—a “strong table” and a
“sturdy table” have essentially the same meaning.

III. Types of Connotations

Most of the examples above can be categorized as having either positive, negative, or neutral
connotation, or sometimes both positive and negative, depending on how they are used.
a. Positive
A word whose connotation implies positive emotions and associations. For example, “the
aroma of my grandmother’s cooking” produces a positive association, because the word
“aroma” implies that the smell is pleasing and inviting.
b. Negative
A word whose connotation implies negative emotions and associations. If we exchange the
adjective “aroma” in the above sentence so that it now reads “the stench of my grandmother’s
cooking,” the meaning changes completely. Though both “aroma” and “stench” mean smell,
“stench” has a negative connotation; thus, the meal sounds much less appealing.
c. Neutral
A word whose connotation is neither positive nor negative. For example, when speaking about
a pet, the word “dog” has a neutral connotation; but, the word “mutt” has a negative
connotation, and the word “purebred” has a positive connotation.

To see more examples of how words with similar denotations can have positive, neutral or
negative connotations, refer to the chart below.

Positive Connotation Neutral Connotation Negative Connotation

interested curious nosy
employ use exploit
thrifty saving stingy
steadfast tenacious stubborn
sated filled crammed
courageous confident conceited
unique different peculiar
meticulous selective picky
vintage old decrepit
elated happy manic

IV. Importance of Connotation

Most words have two meanings: a denotative (literal) meaning, and a connotative (implied)
meaning. It is important to note that not all connotations are solely positive or solely negative—
depending on how a word is used, it can connote different things. Thus it is one of the most
critical things to consider when it comes to word choice, in both literature and everyday
conversation. In fact, the feelings or meanings associated with words can be everything.
Connotations set the tone when writing and speaking, and clarify one’s intentions —they can
elicit certain emotions or reactions or help to provide distinct impressions of things.
Conversely, choosing words with the wrong connotation can produce an undesired reaction or
emotion and misrepresent one’s intentions.

Conclusion
In conclusion, connotation can be everything in language. It gives further meaning to words
and phrases, creating positive and/or negative implications for words that have the same
principal meaning. Without connotations, language would be much more limited, stagnant, and
inflexible—in other words, boring!

Source
https://literaryterms.net/denotation/
https://literaryterms.net/connotation/
 Denotation and Connotation Exercises

Exercise 1
For each pair of words and a phrase, list the one that is positive in the “Positive Connotation”
(P) category, the one that is negative in the “Negative Connotation”(N) category, and the
phrase that is a more neutral definition for both words in the "Denotation" (D) column.
1. gaze_____, look steadily_____, stare_____
2. fragrance_____, odor_____, a smell sensed by the olfactory nerve_____
3. brainwash_____, persuade_____, influence one way or another_____
4. delayed_____, not on time_____, tardy_____
5. somewhat interested_____, nosy_____, curious_____
6. lazily_____, without haste_____, leisurely_____
7. ask of someone_____, demand_____, request_____
8. gathering_____, a large group_____, mob_____
9. slim_____, skinny_____, less than average build_____
10. discuss with others_____, debate_____, argue_____
11. observe_____, watch_____, spy_____
12. a young age_____, youthful_____, immature_____
13. not having a care_____, irresponsible_____, carefree_____
14. unique_____, not commonly found_____, strange_____
15. find_____, detect_____, snoop_____
No. Positive Connotation Denotation Negative Connotation
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
Exercise 2
Read the sentences below. Can you identify the words that have a negative connotation?
1. Bedford is a gritty neighborhood, but the rents are low.
2. On my flight to Los Angeles, I sat next to this babe. She was absolutely stunning.
3. Every morning my neighbor takes his mutt to the park. It always barks loudly when
leaving the building.
4. You need to be pushy when you are looking for a job.
5. Bob is bullheaded sometimes, but he always gets the job done
Exercise 3
Read the sentences below. Identify the word(s) that have a negative connotation.
1. Bedford is a gritty neighborhood, but the rent is affordable.
2. On my flight to Los Angeles, I sat next to this geezer. He was very old.
3. Every morning my neighbor takes his mutt to the park. It always barks loudly when
leaving the building.
4. You need to be pushy when you are looking for a job.
5. Bob is bullheaded sometimes, but he always gets the job done.
Exercise 4
Choose the word with the most positive connotation to complete the sentences below.
1. I love spending time with my aunt. She has a very (childlike, youthful, childish) outlook
on life.
2. I enjoy finding ways to make the most of my budget by being (frugal, miserly, cheap).
3. I am (confident, arrogant, egotistical) that I will be selected for a role in the school play.
4. I realize that you're feeling (nosy, prying, inquisitive), but I'd rather not discuss the
matter.
5. My cousin is very (blathering, jabbering, talkative).
Exercise 5
For each of the sentences below, determine if the bold word has a positive or negative
connotation.
1. How long have you been dieting? Maybe too long. You look so skinny.
2. I can tell you put a lot of work into your book report. It is extraordinary.
3. I hope to look like my sister when I grow up. She is absolutely gorgeous.
4. I know that Eddie and I are the same age, but he is just so juvenile.
5. It's certainly unusual to use Comic Sans font on a resume.