connotation — English Dictionary

Noun

1. A meaning of a word or phrase that is suggested or implied, as opposed to a denotation, or literal meaning. A characteristic of words or phrases, or of the contexts that words and phrases are used in.

   Examples

   The word "advisedly" has a connotation of "wisely", although it denotes merely "intentionally" and "deliberately."

   The word "happy" has a positive connotation, while "sad" has a negative connotation.

2. The attribute or aggregate of attributes connoted by a term, contrasted with denotation.

   Examples

   The two expressions "the morning star" and "the evening star" have different connotations but the same denotation (i.e. the planet Venus).

Noun

1. what you must know in order to determine the reference of an expression

   Synonyms

   intension

   Broader terms

   meaningsignificancesignificationimport

2. an idea that is implied or suggested

   Broader terms

   meaningsubstance