Connotative and Denotative Meanings of the Word No
Despite its apparent simplicity, in both length and form, the English word "no" has a wide nuance of meaning and expression. The word "no" has reasonably simple common denotative meaning, simply acting as a negative, or an indication of dissent. When we explore beyond this simple denotative meaning, we find that "no" is commonly used as an adjective, an adverb, and as a noun. The connotative meaning of "no" is even more complex, and ranges from an association with the empowerment of women in a date-rape situation, to an association with a petulant toddler who is asserting his or her independence.
In common usage, we tend to think of the denotative meaning of "no" as a simple assertion of refusal or denial. Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary has three main definitions for the word "no" including functions as an adverb, as an adjective or as a noun. When used as an adverb, Merriam-Webster's...
-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary gives seven different meanings: "1 a chiefly Scottish: NOT b -- used as a function word to express the negative of an alternative choice or possibility ; 2: in no respect or degree -- used in comparisons; 3: not so -- used to express negation, dissent, denial, or refusal <
o, I'm not going>;4 -- used with a following adjective to imply a meaning expressed by the opposite positive statement ; 5 -- used as a function word to emphasize a following negative or to introduce a more emphatic, explicit, or comprehensive statement; 6 -- used as an interjection to express surprise, doubt, or incredulity; 7 -- used in combination with a verb to form a compound adjective <
o-bake pie>."
When used as an adjective, the word "no" has three main meanings: "1 a: not any <
o parking> <
o disputing the decision> b: hardly any: very little ;
not a: quite other than a
