adjective
- relating to or expressing the literal or primary meaning of a word or sign, as opposed to its associated or suggested meanings
Usage: linguistics, semantics
Examples
- The denotative meaning of 'home' is a place where someone lives.
- In linguistics, denotative meaning refers to the dictionary definition of a word.
- The word 'snake' has a denotative meaning as a type of reptile.
- Denotative language is used in technical writing to avoid ambiguity.
- Unlike connotative meanings, denotative meanings are objective and widely agreed upon.
- The denotative sense of 'fire' is the rapid oxidation of a material.