denotation
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detonation}}
This word has distinct meanings in other fields: see denotation (semiotics). For the opposite of Denotation see Connotation.
- In media-studies terminology, denotation is an example of the first level of analysis: what the audience can visually see on a page. Denotation often refers to something literal, and avoids being a metaphor. Here it is usually coupled with connotation which is the second level of analysis, being what the denotation represents.
In
logic and formal
semantics, denotation always attracts the
extension meaning of the intension / extension pair, but the other element genuinely varies. See
intension for some more discussion. Denotation is often associated with
symbolism, as the denotation of a particular media text often represents something further; a hidden meaning (or an Engima Code) is often encoded into a media text (such as the images below).In order to understand the difference between denotation and
connotation in the media studies and semiotics uses it may be helpful to consider the following examples:
">Examples{|
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| Image:Cartoony red rose.svg>100px | Example one. The denotation of this example is a red rose with a green stem. The connotation is that it is a symbol of passion and love - this is what the rose represents. |
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| Image:Cartoony cross.svg>100px | Example two.The denotation is a brown cross. The connotation is a symbol of religion, according to the media connotation. However, to be more specific this is a symbol of Christianity. |
