denotation
1
6.7
- noun
- /ˌdɛnəˈteɪʃən/
- Specialized
:
significado literal
- Couldn't we find another word with the denotation of "investigator" but with more neutral connotations?
- denotation and connotation
Examples
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From the beginning of the Black experience in America, one critical denotation of freedom has remained constant: freedom has always meant the absence of any restraint that might compromise one's responsibility to God.
Academic text (2007) -
But its denotation is neutral: "The art of effective speaking or writing; the rules of eloquence."
Blog text (5) -
A highly efficient language, containing the precise number of denotations necessary for the given task.
Fiction book (2002) -
In any case, the tension between denotation and connotation is part of the way in which irony works.
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The response he imagines comes teasingly close to Lippmann's denotation of "the American dream":
Academic text (2014) -
As anthropologists tell us, "natural symbols" carry with them denotations and connotations brought from their biological origins.
Academic text (2002) -
The denotation of the word 'dog' refers to a domestic canine animal.
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When learning a new language, understanding the denotation of each word is essential for effective communication.
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In literature, the denotation of a term often contrasts with its connotation, highlighting its literal meaning.
Synonyms
890
1.0
An idea a word or sign shows
156
5.5
The thing a word or phrase points to
7
7.6
All the real things that a word describes, for example birds
3
1.4
A short explanation of what a word or phrase means in a dictionary
A real thing in the world that a word refers to
How Literal
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Denotation comes from the Latin parts de- and notare, where notare means 'to mark' and is like the English word note. So denotation is the 'marked' or literal meaning of a word—the actual thing the word refers to.