Denotation (original) (raw)
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.