DENOTATION

reference, denotation, extension

(noun) the most direct or specific meaning of a word or expression; the class of objects that an expression refers to; “the extension of ‘satellite of Mars’ is the set containing only Demos and Phobos”

indication, denotation

(noun) the act of indicating or pointing out by name

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Noun

denotation (countable and uncountable, plural denotations)

The act of denoting, or something (such as a symbol) that denotes

(logic, linguistics, semiotics) The primary, surface, literal, or explicit meaning of a signifier such as a word, phrase, or symbol; that which a word denotes, as contrasted with its connotation; the aggregate or set of objects of which a word may be predicated.

(philosophy, logic) The intension and extension of a word

(semantics) Something signified or referred to; a particular meaning of a symbol

(computer science) Any mathematical object which describes the meanings of expressions from the languages, formalized in the theory of denotational semantics

(media studies) A first level of analysis: what the audience can visually see on a page. Denotation often refers to something literal, and avoids being a metaphor.

Anagrams

• detonation, taeniodont

Source: Wiktionary


De`no*ta"tion, n. Etym: [L. denotatio: cf. F. dénotation.]

Definition: The marking off or separation of anything. Hammond.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

11 March 2025

CATECHISM

(noun) an elementary book summarizing the principles of a Christian religion; written as questions and answers


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Coffee Trivia

The average annual yield from one coffee tree is the equivalent of 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of roasted coffee. It takes about 4,000 hand-picked green coffee beans to make a pound of coffee.

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