Connotation Versus Denotation

A word can be described in various forms. It depends on a person’s frame of mind how he or she may interpret a word. In other words, how a person comprehends or observes a particular word or relates it to his or her thoughts and ideas can be a connotation. Through connotation and denotation, we can figure out the different meanings of a single word. Connotation indicates a feeling or an idea that develops by looking at a word. It explains either negative or positive emotional connections with a word. On the other hand, denotation refers to the literal meaning of a word, which is usually found in the dictionary.

Many skilled writers or poets use different words as a tool to express their feelings, ideas and thoughts, either in a negative or positive way. Hence, the way of expressing the attitude or feelings through a word is known as connotation. For instance, ‘Slim’ – an attractive body shape (positive connotation), ‘Skinny’- a very thin person (negative connotation).

Many experienced educators and academicians use explicit words while writing a subject-based book or preparing a thesis. A word that carries a very close or literal meaning is known as denotation. These types of words are often used in textbooks or some research papers. For instance, ‘Tax’ – An involuntary fee levied on individuals or corporations, ‘Earth’- The planet on which humans live.

Connotation is different from denotation in several aspects. A word that symbolizes some kind of positive or negative feeling is known as connotation, whereas the word that has a literal or clear meaning is known as denotation. Let us see some example words that have different connotation and similar denotation.

1. Snake:-  unreliable person (connotation), long legless reptile (denotation)

2. Adult:-  a sensible person (connotation), a fully grown person (denotation)

3. Cheesy:- poor quality (connotation), a cheese like flavor (denotation)

Here are some of the topics related to connotation and denotation.

1. Denotation of a Word
2. Connotation of a Word
3. Sentence Using Connotation
4. Positive and Negative Connotations
5. Neutral Connotation

More details regarding the above topics visit the web page connotation and denotation .