con ‧ no ‧ ta ‧ tion /ˌkɒnəˈteɪʃ ə n $ ˌkɑː-/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
a quality or an idea that a word makes you think of that is more than its basic meaning ⇨ denotation
connotation of
The word ‘professional’ has connotations of skill and excellence.
a negative connotation
—connotative /ˈkɒnəteɪtɪv $ ˈkɑːn-, kəˈnoʊtətɪv/ adjective