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
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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
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Recent Examples of denotation
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
Language, unlike code, has connotations and denotations that make organizing it for human consumption a much more complex task, says Dr. Harbin.
—Leonardo Bevilacqua, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 June 2024
What does 4/20 mean? April 20, or 4/20 in its calendar denotation, is a holiday celebrated by many weed-smokers both in the United States and around the globe.
—Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 19 Apr. 2023
Cleverly staging appearance as disappearance, connotation serves as denotation.
—Jerrine Tan, Wired, 4 Aug. 2022
Deaths are included if a person has a positive COVID-19 test and a death certificate denotation, a record of symptoms consistent with COVID-19 that progress from illness to death, or a determination by the medical examiner’s office that there is no other cause of death, Trimble said.
—Dallas News, 5 Aug. 2020
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
Language, unlike code, has connotations and denotations that make organizing it for human consumption a much more complex task, says Dr. Harbin.
—Leonardo Bevilacqua, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 June 2024
What does 4/20 mean? April 20, or 4/20 in its calendar denotation, is a holiday celebrated by many weed-smokers both in the United States and around the globe.
—Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 19 Apr. 2023
Cleverly staging appearance as disappearance, connotation serves as denotation.
—Jerrine Tan, Wired, 4 Aug. 2022
Deaths are included if a person has a positive COVID-19 test and a death certificate denotation, a record of symptoms consistent with COVID-19 that progress from illness to death, or a determination by the medical examiner’s office that there is no other cause of death, Trimble said.
—Dallas News, 5 Aug. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for denotation
Noun
-
With a moniker drawn from Greek mythology, the trio intends for Ariadne to be a revenue-sharing hub for creators to navigate IP, wellness tech, production, distribution and the digital economy pipeline.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
17 May 2026
-
Its current moniker pays homage to the longleaf pine tree, a foundational pillar of the Raleigh area’s historic timber and naval stores industries.—
Kristy Tolley,
Travel + Leisure,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
Social engagement, community involvement, and faith in the structures that organize daily life are among the study’s core predictors of whether an older adult feels their life has meaning—and all of them depend, at least in part, on trust.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
14 May 2026
-
The Celebrate Freedom Festival on June 6 includes a red foods cookoff, continuing the long-standing Juneteenth tradition of red drinks and dishes that carry memory and meaning.—
Shelby Stewart,
Essence,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
Alaïa has been putting more of a spotlight on Archetypes — its nomenclature for pre-collections, which have been overseen in recent seasons by creative director Pieter Mulier.—
Miles Socha,
Footwear News,
7 May 2026
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To be fair, Saturday’s Kentucky Derby field isn’t entirely devoid of notable nomenclature.—
Tyler Estep,
AJC.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
That wouldn't have made sense if Rodgers weren't on the team.—
Armando Salguero OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
17 May 2026
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What doesn’t make sense is why the same amenity is not available at the airport in West Palm Beach.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
Over the years, many notable dignitaries have stayed here; hence the names of the eight signature suites, which are named after an iconic political visitor, such as Roosevelt and John Adams.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
19 May 2026
-
Police have not released a specific motive for the shooting the suspect's name.—
Dennis Romero,
NBC news,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
That projection is based on the player’s performance in each metric over the last three seasons (five for goalies), weighted for recency where more recent seasons carry more significance and regressed to the mean.—
Dom Luszczyszyn,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
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The significance of these findings The study suggests human right-handedness may be deeply rooted in the same evolutionary changes that transformed how our ancestors moved and interacted with the world.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
While the Crusaders have a regular-season finale Friday against Eastlake, Wednesday’s win clinched the league title.—
Don Norcross,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 May 2026
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All three were freshman starters in 2024 when the North Stars won the Class 4A state title.—
Rick Armstrong,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
These features are designed to support a wide range of content creation needs, from interviews and vlogs to documentary and narrative filmmaking.—
Deadline,
Deadline,
20 May 2026
-
Ephemera is so often illustrative of the inner life of a character, a direct, beating correlative of the contents of their hearts.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Denotation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/denotation. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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