Connotation
Raid versus survey, cheap in markets versus cheap in friendships, and home versus house all prove this noun: the gossip a word carries beyond its dictionary entry.
Learn This WordMeaning
Feelings a word carries.
Memory trick
CON-NOTATION: the notes (notation) a word carries con (with) it.
Examples
Home has warm connotations.
Politicians dodge the word "raid" for its harsh connotations and say "survey" instead.
Cheap has bargain connotations in markets and insult connotations in friendships.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology
From Latin connotare "to mark along with," from com- "with" + notare "to mark." The extra marks a word picks up along the way.
Usage Notes
Denotation is the dictionary; connotation is the gossip around it. Word-choice questions live and die on connotation.
Real-life contexts
Use in writing: "Check the connotations before you finalize the headline."
Use in class: "Discuss the connotations of "reform" vs "revolution.""
Use in branding: "The name’s connotations tested warm."
Common Mistakes
Connotation is felt association, not secondary definition; "home" denotes a dwelling and connotes warmth. Plural connotations for the bundle of feelings.
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Part of Speech
noun
Difficulty
intermediateMonthly Searches
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