Online Encyclopedia
Denotation
The logical and linguistic term denotation is the common element in several significant pairings or distinctions, namely (in chronological order)
- connotation and denotation in basic semantics and literary theory;
- as synonymous with reference in sense and reference in philosophy;
- in denotational semantics and operational semantics in computer science.
Here denotational always attracts the extension meaning in the pair, but the other element genuinely varies. See intension for some more discussion.
Last updated: 02-11-2005 17:47:38