Connotation
By Megan Smith
Definition
Connotation is the associated or secondary meaning of a word or expression in addition to its explicit or primary meaning.
For instance, “Wall Street” literally means a street situated in Lower Manhattan but connotatively it refers to “wealth” and “power”.
Example from Literature
Look at the following lines from Shakespeare’s play “As you Like It”:
“All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts,”
“A stage” connotes the world; “players” suggests human beings; and “parts” implies different stages of their lives.
Examples of connoative words
A dove implies peace or gentility.
Home suggests family, comfort and security.
Pushy has a negative connotation and refers to someone as loud-mouthed and irritating.
Connotation provides the basis for symbolic meanings of words because symbolic meanings of objects are different from their literal sense.