Denote means to mean or represent something literally, as a word or symbol does, such as a red flag that denotes dangerous swimming conditions. Connote means to signify beyond that literal meaning, carrying an extra association or implication. A word denotes its dictionary definition and connotes the feelings or ideas attached to it.
The core difference
Denote is a word's literal, direct meaning, while connote is the extra association it carries beyond that.
- denote — to mean or represent something literally: a high fever can denote a serious infection.
- connote — to signify beyond the literal meaning, to imply: the word home connotes warmth and comfort, beyond just a building.
How to tell them apart
Both words come from Latin roots built on notare, to mark. Denote uses the prefix de-, here intensifying the sense to thoroughly mark or point out, giving a word for a direct, literal meaning. Connote uses the prefix com-, together, giving a word for a meaning marked alongside the literal one, an added association rather than the core definition.
A simple hook: denote and direct both start with d, so denote is the direct, dictionary meaning. Connote and connection both start with con, so connote is the connected, secondary meaning a word carries. The mix-up tends to show up in essays about language or symbolism, where writers reach for whichever word comes to mind first rather than the one that fits literal versus implied meaning.
