Discuss connotation here.
CONNOTATION, in logic, a term (largely due to J. S. Mill) equivalent to Intention, which is used to describe the sum of the qualities regarded as belonging to any given thing and involved in the name by which it is known; thus the term “elephant” connotes the having a trunk, a certain shape of body, texture of skin, and so on. It is clear that as scientific knowledge advances the Connotation or Intention of terms increases, and, therefore, that the Connotation of the same term may vary considerably according to the knowledge of the person who uses it. Again, if a limiting adjective is added to a noun (e.g. African elephant), the Connotation obviously increases. In all argument it is essential that the speakers should be in agreement as to the Intention of the words they use. General terms such as “Socialism,” “Slavery,” “Liberty,” and technical terms in philosophy and theology are frequently the cause of controversies which would not arise if the disputants were agreed as to the Intention or Connotation of the terms. In addition Connotative terms, as those which imply attributes, are opposed to NonConnotative, which merely denote things without implying attributes. See also Denotation; and any text-books on elementary logic.
noun
The act of noting one thing together with something else; implication of something besides itself.
adjective
connotative
Logic of terms, denoting a subject and implying an attribute. (John S. Mill)
By a subject, in the foregoing definition, is to be understood anything which possesses attributes. White, long, and virtuous are connotative. Thus white has for its subject things, and implies that they have the attribute whiteness. But John is not connotative: it refers to a subject only, without mention of attributes. Nor is whiteness connotative; it relates to an attribute only. It is opposed to connotative, sometimes but improperly called abstract. A non-connotative term is one which signifies a subject only or an attribute only. John and whiteness (already mentioned) are non-connotative. Connotative names have also been called denominative (q.v.)
[Latin con = together, and notatio = a marking, a noting, from noto = to note, to mark.]
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