Glossary:Connotation

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Connotation

/kɒnəˈteɪʃ(ə)n/ (OED)

Definition

• An idea or feeling which a word invokes for a person in addition to its literal or primary meaning (OED).
• The personal or emotional associations aroused by words (Universal Teacher).

Comment:

It is difficult to distinguish the exact line between a connotation and a denotation, as when a connotation becomes wide-spread and recognised by enough people, then it in fact becomes part of the meaning of the word and is subsequently recorded in dictionaries as a denotation.

Examples

1. The word ‘discipline’ has unhappy connotations of punishment and repression. (OED)

Related terms

• Denotation

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References and links

• Definition of connotation from the Online Oxford English Dictionary
• Definition from Universal Teacher

Literature

• Bieswanger, Markus & Annette Becker (2006): Introduction to English Linguistics (2nd edition). Tübingen and Basel: A. Francke Verlag.