Denotation

Denotation is the explicit or direct meaning or set of meanings of a word or expression, as distinguished from the ideas or meanings associated with it or suggested by it; the association or set of associations that a word usually elicits for most speakers of a language, as distinguished from those elicited for any individual speaker because of personal experience. Denotation is often contrasted with connotation.

Overview

In semiotics, denotation is the surface or literal meaning encoded to a signifier, and the definition most likely to appear in a dictionary. The denotative meaning of a word is not all that matters. Connotation, the emotional and imaginative association surrounding a word, can be just as important in communication.

Denotation in Semiotics

In semiotics, the denotative meaning of a sign is its literal meaning, the definition you would find in a dictionary. For example, the denotative meaning of the word "rose" is a type of flower. However, the same word could have many different connotations. For example, it could signify love, beauty, fragility, or death.

Denotation in Linguistics

In linguistics, denotation is concerned with the relationship between the signifier and its signified (the thing it is representing). This is often referred to as the referential meaning. For example, the denotative meaning of the word "cat" is a small domesticated carnivorous mammal with soft fur, a short snout, and retractile claws.

Denotation in Literature

In literature, authors use denotation to convey the literal meanings of their words. This is in contrast to connotation, which is used to convey the emotions and associations connected with a word. For example, in the sentence "He's such a dog," the word "dog" has a negative connotation, but its denotative meaning is a four-legged canine animal.

See Also

• Connotation
• Semiotics
• Linguistics
• Literature

References

Denotation Resources
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