Is the denotative meaning of a word emotional?
Denotation DefinitionWhat is denotation? Here’s a quick and simple definition: Show
Some additional key details about denotation:
Denotation PronunciationHere's how to pronounce denotation: dee-noh-tay-shun Denotation in DetailWhile denotation is a relatively simple concept, there are some additional facts about it that are worth knowing:
Finally, to truly understand denotation, you need to understand connotation. To do so, check out our entry on connotation. Denotation ExamplesEvery single word in every language has a denotation. The examples of denotation in literature, speeches, and the speech of everyday life is therefore endless, but that also makes it hard to pick out one example from literature that better illustrates denotation than any other example. Instead of providing examples from literature, it's probably more helpful to see examples of words that have similar denotations but different connotations. The following list provides just that:
Why Writers Use DenotationBecause denotation is a word's explicit meaning, writers can't help but use this literary term in their work. Denotation is everywhere language is! But writers still rely greatly on denotation as an anchor for their artistic choices. All types of figurative language, like personification and metaphor, rely on the reader's understanding of both a word's explicit definition and the word's emotional and imaginative meaning—its connotation. Therefore, denotation can be understood as the bedrock upon which more complex and representative meanings are built. Further, writers use denotation in the sense of choosing the right word for the right occasion. Writers pay close attention to the meaning of the words they use, so that they can be as precise, concrete, clear, and realistic as possible. For instance, someone who wrote, "When the doctor handed Margaret her new baby, Margaret smirked warmly at it," is misusing the word "smirk." The word's denotation—a smug or conceited smile—doesn't make sense in the context of the rest of the sentence. A writer can vastly improve his or her writing by paying close attention to the denotations of words and choosing those that best capture what the writer is trying to explain or describe. Other Helpful Denotation Resources
Is connotation a emotional meaning?Connotation is the emotional meaning of a word, or at least the emotional associations it carries within a particular culture. Though two words could have similar literal meanings, they could have drastically different impacts on what a sentence means to a reader.
What type of meaning is denotative?Denotation is the objective meaning of a word. The term comes from the Latin word “denotationem,” meaning “indication.” The denotation of a word is its literal definition—its dictionary definition—and contains no emotion. This is in contrast to connotation, which is the subjective or associated meaning of a word.
What is denotative meaning and connotative?DENOTATION: The direct definition of the word that you find in the dictionary. CONNOTATION: The emotional suggestions of a word, that is not literal.
What are connotative and denotative examples?LESSON. |