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
-
The hotel’s pretty-in-pink Spanish-Mediterranean façade has been a Southern California fixture for 100 years, since earning the moniker The Pink Lady.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Route 66 has been called America’s Main Street, a moniker that fuels nostalgics who like to talk about simpler times and good days gone by.—
Jonathan Bullington,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But for many, the occasion carried a deeper meaning, one centered on those who dreamed of connecting Los Angeles to Chicago by road generations before them.—
Audrey Pachuta,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
-
But for Hall, the meaning ran deeper, tied back to something far bigger than a stat sheet.—
Jackson Thompson OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine — Clinical Terms (SNOMED CT), the organization that determines global standards for health terms, receives up to 2,000 requests to amend nomenclature every year, either from individual members or groups.—
Annalisa Merelli,
STAT,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Apart from achieving popular success by bringing botany to the people, Lamarck’s major purpose in French Flora was to exploit what seemed to be a little opening in the field of botany in the form of a rift among botanists regarding nomenclature.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
That’s not to say the decisions were easy and lacked a sense of foreboding.—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
-
February 19 – March 20 Small choices today create a sense of ease that lasts.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The names of places, roads, buildings and more, reflect the impact folks in Connecticut have made for hundreds of years.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
27 Apr. 2026
-
After all, coaches want a sure thing when millions are being spent on revenue sharing and name, image and likeness compensation.—
Eric Olson,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This remarkable find was unearthed at the earliest military camp discovered in the area, which holds national significance due to its Roman remains.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Britain’s strategic significance for the United States eroded further with Brexit, starting in 2016 with the approval of a referendum to leave the European Union and the formal withdrawal four years later.—
Michael Collins,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Foremost for Nelson, a softball recruit for Columbia in New York, likely would be leading the Green Wave to a second straight regional title and advancing further than last year’s sectional semifinal.—
Rick Armstrong,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Taft was seeking its eighth City title and first since winning Division II in 2019.—
Steve Galluzzo,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This article was created by content specialists using various tools, including AI.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Miami Herald,
30 Apr. 2026
-
With that, Burch invited Wintour, her longtime friend, the chief content officer of Condé Nast, and Vogue’s global editorial director, to accept her award.—
Jenna Adrian-Diaz,
Vogue,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Denotation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/denotation. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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