Denotation &
Connotation
Connotation
Watch this quick video to give you a better idea of the difference between the two terms.
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Many words and fixed expressions have positive or negative emotional associations (connotation). These connotations are different from the word's dictionary definition (denotation). We learn about this to teach us to be better writers by selecting words intentionally when we write!
For example, in the short story, The Necklace, Guy de Maupassant writes, "She gave him an irritated glance and burst out impatiently, 'What do you think I have to go in?'" -- What do you think the denotation is for the words burst out in this sentence? What do you think the connotations are? |
Watch the Flocabulary video on Word Choice and read through the interactive lyrics below.
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Connotation & DenotationWatch the video and see how the words are used differently to invoke different emotions and meanings, though they are the same word. How does this apply to these two terms? What is the denotation of these words? What are the connotations? It's pretty beautiful how we are able to use words to incite different emotions and make our readers think without ever asking them to do so! Words are POWERFUL!
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Reiterating the IdeaConnotation and denotation are not two separate things. They are two elements of a whole thing - word meaning, and the connotative meanings of a word exist together with the denotative meanings. This is why word choice is important.
− Connotation represents the various social overtones, cultural implications, or emotional meanings associated with a sign. −Denotation represents the explicit or referential meaning of a sign. Denotation refers to the literal meaning of a word, the ‘dictionary definition.’ For example, the name ‘Hollywood’ connotes such things as glitz, glamour, tinsel, celebrity, and dreams of stardom. In the same time, the name ‘Hollywood’ denotes an area of Los Angeles, worldwide known as the center of the American movie industry. |