Connotation and Denotation
Denotation
The literal definition of a word.
Example—
Home: the place where one lives permanently,
especially as a member of a family or household.
Connotation
The related ideas or feelings associated with a
word. Can be either positive or negative.
What connotations does the word “home”
have? Are they mostly positive or negative?
Important!
When you’re trying to figure out what
connotations a word has, try to think of what
the most common connotations would be. The
word “summer” might have negative
connotations for you, but it’s usually written
about in a positive way in poems and stories.
Now you try!
With a partner, come up a list of at least three
images, feelings, or ideas for each of the
following words. Then, decide whether each
word has a negative or positive connotation.
• Spring
• Delicate
• Cramped