connotation

«connotation» in Mova's school dictionary: A feeling or idea that a word suggests, in addition to… — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples.

part of speech

noun (a connotation, connotations)

meaning for a pupil

A feeling or idea that a word suggests, in addition to its basic meaning. For example, «home» means a place to live, but it suggests warmth and safety. tree →

sense in the lessons

In English lessons, pupils study how writers choose words for their connotations: «slim» has good connotations, «skinny» can sound negative, though both mean thin. In poetry and persuasive writing, connotations shape how readers feel. It tells the reader to think beyond the dictionary meaning. Opposite term: denotation (the plain, literal meaning).

examples

• The word "home" has connotations of warmth and safety. tree →
• "Stubborn" and "determined" have different connotations. tree →
• Red can have connotations of danger or of love. tree →
• The poet chose words with dark connotations to create fear. tree →
• "Cheap" can have negative connotations, while "good value" sounds positive. tree →
• Discuss the connotations of the word "storm" in the poem. tree →

note

Countable: a connotation, connotations. Verb: connote. Denotation = what a word literally means; connotation = what it suggests. Connotations can differ between countries and people.

Trees and pragmatics

Every meaning and example of «connotation» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.