What is the difference between Connotation and Denotation?

Denotations are exact and total meanings of words that are to be found in dictionaries. When we need to know more about a word, look it up in the dictionary to learn the meaning. The meaning in the dictionary is its literal denotative meaning. Denotation is neutral because there are no positive or negative feelings created in your mind.

On the other hand, Connotation is the word's meanings that make you think about the positive and negative emotions associated with the word. Connotation tends to be a more comfortable way of defining something. For example, home can mean safety and love, which is positive.

Connotation and denotation are two different terms. People tend to confuse the two for each other, probably because of their similar sound. However, you will start seeing some of their differences when you check how they are used in grammar, philosophy, and other areas. The term denotation refers to the actual meaning of a particular word. In other words, the term denotation means the literal, primary, or explicit meaning of a word. The literal definition you get for a word when you check your dictionary. On the other hand, connotation refers to the meaning given to a phrase or word that is implied or suggested. The connotations of anything might be words outside its literal meaning. For instance, you may decide to give the word scorpion a connotative meaning of danger, but that is not its actual meaning. Your connotative definition of a particular might be a product of your emotion, mood, experience, etc.

When you say denotation, this means that you are using the literal meaning of the word. When someone tells you something, you know exactly that this is what the person means. When you say connotation, this means that the words that are being said may not exactly be direct to the point. This means that you still need to do some analysis of the things that have been said. There are also times when you would use some adjectives to describe something, but they are meant to evoke feelings, which means that you are using connotation. When you mean something in order to describe the subject, that is denotation.