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Glossaries

A-Z grammar terms A-Z confused pairs "parts of speech" lists

Punctuation Lessons

using apostrophes using colons using commas using dashes using hyphens using brackets using semicolons using quotation marks

English Idioms

50 common idioms 50 funny idioms 50 clever idioms 50 sarcastic idioms

Vocabulary Lessons

vocabulary lists vocabulary games

Connotation

What Does Connotation Mean? (with Examples)

Connotation is the extra meaning carried by a word. Whereas denotation is the literal meaning of a word, connotation is a further understanding of the word's denotation.

Examples of Connotations

Look at these sentences:

• She's an adult.
• She's a real woman.
• She's a real lady.
• She's a real babe.

These all share a similar denotation (i.e., they denote an adult female), but their connotations (further understandings) are very different.

• She's an adult.
(One possible connotation: a sensible woman)
• She's a real woman.
(One possible connotation: a curvaceous woman)
• She's a real lady.
(One possible connotation: a classy woman)
• She's a real babe.
(One possible connotation: an attractive woman)

Positive and Negative Connotations

A word can have a positive or a negative connotation. For example:

The denotations of the words difficult and challenging are similar. However, their connotations are different.

• Difficult (negative connotation)
(This suggests there are problems ahead.)
• Challenging (positive connotation)
(This suggests the problems ahead will be overcome.)

Similarly, the denotations of the words nitpicking and meticulous are similar. However, their connotations are different.

• Nitpicking (negative connotation)
(This suggests someone who gets bogged down on details.)
• Meticulous (positive connotation)
(This suggests someone who doesn't let any mistakes through.)

A Quick Test

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