denotation

noun

ˌdē-nō-ˈtā-shən How to pronounce denotation (audio)
Definition of denotationnext
1
as in moniker
a word or combination of words by which a person or thing is regularly known "soul" is the common denotation for that mysterious force within the human body that gives it life and yet is separate from it

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in meaning
the idea that is conveyed or intended to be conveyed to the mind by language, symbol, or action although most people exercise for fitness, the denotation of the term "fitness" varies from exerciser to exerciser

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of denotation The 7x2 and 9x4 designations are a denotation of the rockets' engine configurations. — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 17 Aug. 2026 Michael Emmanuel Swinton, 30, of Fayetteville, North Carolina, was killed during the denotation on July 19 at Erbil Air Base. — Joey Garrison, USA Today, 21 July 2026 Controlled denotations were conducted Sunday at the site to dispose of hazardous materials, the agency said. — Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 13 Oct. 2025 How much control, at this point, the subcommittee can exert over emoji denotation and connotation isn’t clear. — Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 29 June 2025 But the New Zealand Department of Conservation lists the reptiles as at risk — relict, a denotation reserved for species that declined to a small population but have since stabilized. — Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 22 July 2024 Cleverly staging appearance as disappearance, connotation serves as denotation. — Jerrine Tan, Wired, 4 Aug. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for denotation
  1. moniker
  2. meaning
  3. nomenclature
  4. sense
  5. name
  6. significance
  7. title
  8. content
Noun
  • Kristian Matsson, who records under the moniker The Tallest Man on Earth, is both blessed and cursed by having arrived nearly fully formed.
    — David Harris, SPIN, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The three-parter’s original title is Diana Unheard, and it is being sold internationally with that moniker.
    — Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of moniker
Noun
  • The expression has different meanings across cultures, rarely referring to its literal translation.
    — Annika Pham, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
  • What begins as an extreme pursuit becomes an intimate journey into obsession, mortality and the search for meaning.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of meaning
Noun
  • The technologies themselves aren't changing, but NASA's effort to implement the nomenclature introduces new obstacles for scientific communication and the agency's digital infrastructure.
    — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Under this nomenclature, Fredonia would be the poetic and literary term, and denizens of the nation would be called Fredonians, or more colloquially, Fredes.
    — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of nomenclature
Noun
  • Investors should also look at a fund's 30-day SEC yield to get a sense of what the company is generating in terms of income.
    — Cheryl Winokur Munk, CNBC, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Government buildings were vandalized in multiple cities, contributing to a sense of national crisis that could boost leading far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen six months before elections.
    — Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of sense
Noun
  • While Christen and Jude remained among the hottest brands to check out at showroom appointments, other names pinpointed by buyers included Hagelstam, Nomasei, Neous and the newcomers Ananyan and Kiana Ghavidel.
    — Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The 58-key, six-story hotel takes its name from the Jazz Age term for a singer, and its design evokes the sleek grandeur of the Streamline Moderne movement.
    — Todd Plummer, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of name
Noun
  • Bears Ears is a living cultural landscape and sacred ancestral homeland of deep significance to Tribal Nations.
    — Mary Beth Laughton, Time, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Hassen discussed the significance of Type V composite pressure vessels, and their potential.
    — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of significance
Noun
  • All new titles are scheduled to be available for simulcast on the MBC Shahid app.
    — Marta Balaga, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
  • That’s exactly what happened last fall when Smith’s two-out, 11th-inning home run in Game 7 of the World Series helped the Dodgers win a second straight title.
    — Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of title
Noun
  • First was comic and content creator, George Brett Olson, who did a breakdown (watch it below) accusing an AI Instagram account with 300,000 followers of seemingly ripped off his joke word for word.
    — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026
  • SparkHub connects creator content to tracked sales inside its ShopBack app.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of content

Browse Nearby Words

denominations
denotation
denotations
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Denotation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/denotation. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on denotation

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about denotation

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All