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
- The word ‘discipline’ has unhappy connotations of punishment and repression. (OED)
Related terms
Back to the glossary.
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.