Rhetorical terms · AP English Language, SAT Reading and Writing, ACT Reading
Connotation
Connotation: The emotional or cultural associations a word carries in addition to its literal, dictionary meaning.
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What it means
Denotation is a word's literal meaning; connotation is what the word suggests. Home and house can denote the same building, but home connotes warmth and belonging. Writers choose words with connotations that support their purpose.
Connotation can be positive, negative or neutral, and it can change with context and audience.
Example
Describing a crowd as a 'gathering', a 'crowd' or a 'mob' changes how readers see the same group of people.
On the exam
SAT and ACT vocabulary questions often hinge on connotation: two answer choices may share a meaning but only one fits the tone of the passage.