Standard Lemma guide

denotation

noun · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • US: /ˌdiː.noʊˈteɪ.ʃən/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -eɪʃən

1

noun

Meaning 1

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

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

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.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, logic, mathematics, philosophy, sciences, semiotics

Examples

  • The denotations of the two expressions "the morning star" and "the evening star" are the same (i.e. both expressions denote the planet Venus), but their connotations are different.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

The intension and extension of a word

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: human-sciences, logic, mathematics, philosophy, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

Something signified or referred to; a particular meaning of a symbol

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, sciences, semantics

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

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

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: computer, computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, science, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

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.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Qualifier: media studies

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

the most direct or specific meaning of a word or expression; the class of objects that an expression refers to

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the extension of `satellite of Mars' is the set containing only Demos and Phobos

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: reference, extension

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: meaning, substance

8

noun

Meaning 8

the act of indicating or pointing out by name

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: indication

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: naming

History

Etymology

From Late Latin dēnotātiō, from Latin dēnotāre (“to denote, mark out”) + -tiō (suffix forming nouns of action), from dē- (“completely”) + notāre (“to mark”); equivalent to denote + -ation.

Across languages

Translations

31 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: означаване (označavane) — act of denoting
  • Catalan: denotació — act of denoting
  • Dutch: denotatie — act of denoting
  • Dutch: beschrijving — act of denoting
  • Finnish: merkitseminen — act of denoting
  • Finnish: merkki — act of denoting
  • French: dénotation — act of denoting
  • Hungarian: megjelölés — act of denoting
  • Ingrian: merkitsömiin — act of denoting
  • Italian: denotazione — act of denoting
  • Portuguese: denotação — act of denoting
  • Spanish: denotación — act of denoting
  • Bulgarian: главно значение (glavno značenie) — primary or explicit meaning
  • Catalan: denotació — primary or explicit meaning
  • Dutch: denotatie — primary or explicit meaning
  • Dutch: betekenis — primary or explicit meaning
  • Finnish: perusmerkitys — primary or explicit meaning
  • Finnish: denotaatio — primary or explicit meaning
  • Hungarian: jelentés — primary or explicit meaning
  • Indonesian: denotasi — primary or explicit meaning
  • Portuguese: denotação — primary or explicit meaning
  • Spanish: denotación — primary or explicit meaning
  • Welsh: dynodiad — primary or explicit meaning
  • Bulgarian: обозначение (oboznačenie) — something signified or referred to
  • Dutch: aanduiding — something signified or referred to
  • Dutch: denotatie — something signified or referred to
  • Dutch: betekenis — something signified or referred to
  • Finnish: merkitys — something signified or referred to
  • Hungarian: jel — something signified or referred to
  • Portuguese: denotação — something signified or referred to
  • Spanish: denotación — something signified or referred to