Connotation

A connotation is a commonly understood cultural or emotional association that any given word or phrase carries, in addition to its explicit or literalmeaning, which is its denotation.

The majority of connotations can be described as either positive or negative, with regard to its pleasing or displeasing emotional connection. For example, a stubborn person may be described as being either strong-willed or pig-headed; although these have the same literal meaning (stubborn), strong-willed connotes admiration for the level of someone's will (a positive connotation), while pig-headed connotes frustration in dealing with someone (a negative connotation).

Some words have such strong connotations that they are better known for the connotation they provide, rather than a dictionary definition. For instance, a significant amount of profanities, such as shit or fuck are commonly used for purposes entirely unrelated to their dictionary definition.