Definition of "connotation" [con•no•ta•tion]

• The act or process of connoting. (noun)
• An idea or meaning suggested by or associated with a word or thing: Hollywood holds connotations of romance and glittering success. (noun)
• The set of associations implied by a word in addition to its literal meaning. (noun)
• Logic The set of attributes constituting the meaning of a term; intension. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Though the words and phrases are vague and suggest different things to different people their connotation is always favorable: "The concepts and programs of the propagandist are always good, desirable, virtuous.""
• "He's trying to reconcile a new word connotation associated with being upset with something that he already understands as having to do with polar bears and snow."
• "Trago does not strictly mean an alcoholic drink, although that connotation is very strong."